The Igeho Rising Star Award 2025 focuses on FoodTech innovations

In 2023, Igeho launched the Igeho Rising Star Award to support founders and start-ups in the hospitality sector. Its second edition is now inviting all FoodTech startups to submit their applications by January 31, 2025. Fifteen start-ups will have the chance to exhibit at the Igeho 2025, the largest hospitality platform in Switzerland. Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) is powering the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025.

Focus on FoodTech and partnerships

“The Igeho Rising Star 2023 was a great success,” confirms Benjamin Eulau, Brand Director of Igeho. “Six start-ups received the opportunity to exhibit at the Igeho 2023, and two start-ups won a cash prize. We are eager to continue to support start-ups and offer a platform for these emerging and forward-thinking companies.”

All companies and founder teams in the food start-up scene offering innovative and sustainable products, services, or technologies are eligible to apply. Companies can be active in a broad range of sectors, including food science, food service, consumer tech, delivery, and supply chain. Start-ups must have been founded after January 1, 2020, and must be based in Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

Igeho has invited Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley to support the Igeho Rising Star Awards, contributing its expertise in supporting food start-ups and helping to select the expert jury for the grand finale at the Igeho 2025.

“When it comes to transforming the food system, we believe collaboration is the key to progress,” assures Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO of Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley. “The hospitality sector plays a very important role in this transformation. We are therefore thrilled to collaborate with Igeho to support the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025 and provide Valley partners and other food-tech start-ups the chance to showcase their innovations at Switzerland’s leading platform for hospitality innovation.”

Timeline and Milestones

Startups and founders can submit their application free of charge until January 31, 2025. 

In February, the Igeho and SFNV teams will review the applications based on criteria such as innovation, use of technology, sustainability and environmental impact, as well as business model and scalability. They will nominate 15 companies for the public vote. These 15 start-ups will receive a free booth presence in the Food Tech Area at Igeho 2025 and will have the chance to be voted into the finals by the community.

Public voting will run from March 31 to May 30, 2025. During this phase, the Swiss hospitality community can vote for their favorites, and five of the 15 companies will secure a spot in the final. These five finalists will be officially announced in early June.

The final will take place at the Igeho 2025 from November 15 to 19, 2025, in Basel. The five finalists will pitch their innovations to a jury, with one receiving the Igeho Rising Star Award and prize money.

Previous winners

The Igeho Rising Star Award 2023 final took place in November 2023. The six finalists – IRISgo, Simon & Josef, olanga, Luya Foods, kooky, and EggField – pitched their innovations and responded to the jury’s questions live on stage. 

SFNV partner, EggField won the jury prize, and IRISgo won the audience prize. Both start-ups received prize money from the award sponsor Transgourmet/Prodega and Silvan Leibacher from EggField was invited to be featured as a guest on the Igeho podcast “Hosting the Hosts” in December 2024. 

Igeho: International platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors

Igeho is regarded as the most important international platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors in Switzerland. As a live marketing platform, it offers the hospitality industry a comprehensive market overview, interesting networking opportunities and new impulses on the subject of hospitality. The broad spectrum of offerings is complemented by an exciting supporting programme on current trends and the most important topics in the hospitality industry. The next Igeho will be held at Messe Basel from 15 to 19 November 2025.
www.igeho.ch 

MCH Group

MCH Group has its headquarters in Basel and is an internationally operating experience marketing company with a comprehensive service network and an international range of experience marketing solutions. The Exhibitions & Events division organises around 170 guest events every year as well as 17 of its own events and trade fairs in Switzerland, among them leading live marketing platforms such as Swissbau, Igeho, and Giardina. With Messe Basel, the Congress Center Basel, and Messe Zürich, MCH also operates Switzerland’s largest multifunctional event infrastructures in   terms of surface area. The company employs more than 800 people, around half of them in Switzerland and the USA. 
www.mch-group.com

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