The 2nd Startup Impact Program winners were chosen by the Żabka Group and Kozminski Business Hub.

The winners of the second Startup Impact Program are Eice, Seasoil, and Vermico. The competition’s winners will continue to grow over the coming months under the guidance of professionals from the Żabka Group and Kozminski Business Hub. Participating in the acceleration is also an opportunity to work with Group entities and test solutions in the Polish convenience store chain with the fastest rate of expansion.

The Żabka Group is always on the lookout for novel ideas whose implementation would hasten the growth of the convenience ecosystem. It accomplishes this through Venture Studio, whose role is to look for and draw to the organisation cutting-edge solutions that offer a fresh viewpoint to the entire Group. Projects are chosen based on current business requirements, taking into consideration the most significant trends that drive the growth of the retail sector not only in Poland but also globally. The Foodtech Lab, Startup Impact Program, and Żabka Future Lab, three of the Żabka Group’s acceleration programmes, offer crucial assistance in this process.

Accelerating development for successful startups

The Startup Impact Program is dedicated to assisting emerging businesses that are dedicated to bringing about positive change. This is the second time startups have been sought out whose operations support particular UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The development of energy-free fast beverage cooling (E-ice), biopolymer production (Seasoil), and the development of intelligent composters suitable for use in urban and even office environments are the winning projects in the competition’s second iteration (Vermico).

The three winning startups will now move into the acceleration phase, where they will receive extensive assistance from Kozminski Business Hub experts and the chance to test their products in the setting of the Abka Group. The test route will be customised to meet the specific requirements of each project. According to Karol Gajewicz, Head of Venture Studio, Żabka Group, this will enable each of the young businesses to realise their full business potential.

assistance for creative businesspeople

The organisers were searching for ways to lessen the carbon footprint, including the execution of creative projects, low-carbon food cooling, and future packaging that was designed for composting or recycling. Developing entrepreneurial skills and competencies to support entrepreneurship in the contemporary economy was the focus of a different group of projects. Projects that improve children’s and young people’s wellbeing as well as facilitate their empowerment and entry into the workforce were also brought to light, with a special emphasis on at-risk youth for social exclusion.

The Startup Impact Program assessed service or product concept prototypes. Also taken into consideration was the MVP, or the bare-bones version of the product that can be tested.

More information regarding the 2nd Startup Impact Program winners

With the help of carbon dioxide and without the use of electricity, the eco-friendly startup solution known as E-ice, you can quickly cool any beverage. A company called Seasoil produces biopolymers, which are used to create packaging but also other things. Packaging can decompose in any environment thanks to novel biopolymers. Vermico makes intelligent composters that can be used in urban settings and even in offices. Systems exist in composters designed after the work of California earthworms that monitor and aid the decomposition process.

winners of the Startup Impact Program’s first round

The Żabka Group in conjunction with Kozminski Business Hub recently completed the second iteration of their acceleration programme, the Startup Impact Program. The first edition’s winners were: a new company called Hempeat makes meat substitutes from hemp grains; The maker of an application that uses artificial intelligence to generate custom recipes and reduce food waste is called Epicer; Res Solution is a system that makes it possible to manage energy, water, gas, heat, automate processes, and run equipment effectively.