Open Innovation Forum connects global brands with emerging innovations
The Open Innovation Forum were hosted by member Samworth Brothers on 11-12 November 2025 in Melton Mowbray. The Forum meets three times a year to engage and share experiences with other organisations along the Food, Drink & FMCG supply chain in a workshop setting. Around 50 OI Forum members, guests, and keynote speakers attended.
The afternoon of Day 2 featured the annual Forum pitching competition, where 17 start-ups, scale-ups and innovators showcased their technologies (full list below). This year’s theme was ‘Novel means to sustainably develop, produce, and deliver healthy nutrition’. Each innovation addressed at least one of the OI Forum Members’ priority needs, including:
- healthier and non-UPF foods
- food security and resilience
- sustainable production and packaging
- AI-enabled NPD
- valorisation of food sector waste.
2025 Winner: Inpute Technologies Limited
Inpute Technologies delivers an end-to-end AI-enabled manufacturing intelligence platform that unites data from machines and operators in real time. Their solution reduces waste, improves efficiency, and drives measurable sustainability gains by digitising manual processes and enabling smarter, faster decision-making on the factory floor.
“Taking part in the OI Forum pitching event was a rewarding experience. There was a diverse group of participants and judges who were clearly passionate about innovation. Presenting our real-time intelligence system for manufacturers to such an engaged audience was very enjoyable and being selected as the winner was great validation of our approach and messaging.” said Morgan McElligott, Inpute Technologies Limited.
Highly Commended: Protex AI
Protex AI’s intelligent workplace operating system uses computer vision and edge computing to automatically detect unsafe behaviours in industrial settings. Partnering with major global manufacturers, their platform enhances safety, boosts efficiency and delivers actionable insights that cut incidents by over 60% while increasing productivity
“The quick pitches, along with the speed dating component, was a valuable way to get in front of the right people in the largest FMCG and Ingredients business, whilst providing the judges a valuable experience in learning of the newest technologies on the market. As a result, we have a number of follow-up discussions with interested businesses.” added Robert McCarthy, Enterprise Sales AE, Protex AI.
Highly Commended: Canterbury Brewers & Distillers
Canterbury Brewers & Distillers has created a circular nutrition system that transforms brewing by-products into gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, producing high-value, UK-validated tinctures rich in bioactive compounds. Their innovative closed-loop process links brewing, distilling and mycology to create a sustainable, fully traceable source of functional nutrition.
“We offer our warmest congratulations to our winners, and a sincere thank you to every innovator that took part. The innovation, creativity and commitment to collaborate is exactly what will drive the future of sustainable nutrition,” added Michèle Routley.
2025 Shortlisted pitchers (A–Z)
- AnaBio – encapsulation technology enabling stable probiotics in mainstream beverages and foods.
- Auralytica Ltd – dye-free colour-changing hydrogel sensors detecting spoilage to prevent food waste.
- Biovit Technologies – functional ingredients improving nutrient absorption by up to 20×.
- Camfridge Ltd – refrigerant-free solid-state beverage cooling reducing cost and carbon.
- Daisy – real-time AI dispatch system preventing food waste from operational delays.
- Fermtech – cocoa-replacing fermented ingredients with 98% lower CO₂ emissions.
- LOOOPS Food Lab – upcycled rice-based ingredient enabling sugar reduction and clean-label reformulation.
- Micron Agritech – AI-powered portable parasite testing, delivering instant animal health decisions.
- Niskus Biotec – modular biorefineries creating mycelium-based proteins from side streams.
- Noiet Foods srl – fermented clean-label functional ingredients from beverage by-products.
- Nooj Ltd – concentrated whole-nut plant milk eliminating unnecessary water, packaging and waste.
- Pipeline Organics Ltd – biofuel cells generating onsite renewable energy from sugary wastewater.
- Plasma Fresh – cold plasma systems for chemical-free food and surface decontamination.
- Reso Health Ltd – personalised, zero-waste functional nutrition delivered via smart dispensing hardware.
- Soul Fruit – single-ingredient dried fruit snacks offering a healthy alternative to crisps and sweets.
- Tequila Flora – vegan tequila cream liqueur in paper bottles enabling modern, inclusive cocktails.
- Whole Supp – nutritionally complete plant-based meal solutions with plastic-free RTD packaging.
“Events like this bring open innovation to life, connecting global industry challenges with the brilliant ingenuity emerging from start-ups and entrepreneurs. The calibre of innovation this year has been outstanding – practical, scalable, and genuinely transformative.” said Michèle Routley, OI Forum Lead at IfM Engage.
About the OI Forum
Established in October 2010, the Open Innovation (OI) Forum offers a programme of structured support and opportunity for companies from all stages of the Food and FMCG value chain, from ingredients and packaging, through brand-owner, manufacturing and the final link: retail.
A central focus for the Forum is to support members in harnessing external innovations from outside their organisations, including by highlighting exciting new ventures, ideas and emerging technologies from start-ups and innovators. Often this presents an ideal symbiotic relationship with creative start-ups needing to grow by building relationships with bigger clients.
To facilitate these connections, the OI Forum hosts regular pitching competitions like this to provide an opportunity for innovators and technology spin-outs, start-ups and SMEs to pitch their ideas or business to large companies.
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