The French Tech startup Urban Cuisine has won the startup pitch battle at IFA NEXT. The team from France took the top spot with their final three-minute pitch, after competing against 59 other start-ups in 8 categories. The startups were pitching to a panel of investor judges, but the audience also had a vote in deciding the final winner.

Hundreds of startups had put in applications to join the pitch battle at innovation hub IFA NEXT at this year’s IFA Berlin, and 59 were selected to deliver their pitches throughout IFA. The Pitch Battle Finale was fronted by our special guest judge, Anthony Lacavera, the Canadian businessman, venture capitalist, television host, and philanthropist. Lacavera is the founder and chairman of telecoms and investment company Globalive.

The finalists in each category were:

– AR / VR: Holofil, a simulated tabletop holographic display with 3D content for branding, marketing, education and gaming

– Digital Health: theblood, a Berlin startup pioneering precision care for menstrual health – Mobility: ChargeX from Munich, who develop hardware and software that optimises electrical charging for vehicle fleets

– Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning: Petnow, a Korean startup that uses AI to give pets biometric IDs and makes it easier to find them, should they get lost – Home Electronics: Minibrew offers a smart brewing system to make premium craft beer in your own home

– IoT: Spanish start-up Bambai won this category with their advanced real-time system to detect security breaches and emergencies

– Sports Tech: Oliver have developed a new GPS tracker for football training sessions, which is easier to wear than traditional trackers

– French Tech: Urban Cuisine, the overall winner, offers a connected indoor vegetable garden that will transform any kitchen.

The announcement of the winners was also the signal for the start of the much-anticipated Deal over Drinks networking session, bringing together startups and investors. This year’s IFA NEXT featured 350 start-ups, more than double of last year’s turnout.

The fourth day of IFA Berlin also saw football fans flocking to IFA’s iconic Sommergarten to see the stars of Bundesliga and now also Champions League club FC Union Berlin. The squad were joined on their walk around IFA by their coaching team.

In the afternoon, they took residency at the goal wall of IFA Outdoors at the Sommergarten. Fans could compete with the Union players for getting those goals in and have their pictures taken with team members. Merchandise was also on sale, and prizes could be won.

Tuesday is the fifth and final day of IFA – and the last chance to see all of this year’s innovation and technology at the world’s best show for consumer electronics and home appliances.

IFA 2023 is taking place from 1-5 September at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin). Tickets are available online in the ticket shop at www.ifa-berlin.de.

IFA Management GmbH is a joint venture of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH (owner of the IFA trademark rights) and Clarion Events Ltd, which is responsible for organising IFA in Berlin.