With so much of the innovation and breakthroughs in food and technology coming from the startups, we’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight the amazing work these companies are doing in the space. Throughout the last day and a half, various startups took the Smart Kitchen Summit stage to present their products. And while it’s never an easy task, our panel of judges managed to whittle the contenders down to a few winners, which we’ve summarized for you here:
Excellence in Design: MoJoe Brewing
ChefSteps co-founder Chris Young awarded the Excellence in Design award to MoJoe Brewing. MoJoe makes a portable coffee brewer and travel mug combo that lets users brew hot coffee or tea on the go, using any temperature water (even cold!). The device can be powered by a wall socket, car charger, or a rechargeable battery, and is slim enough to fit in a standard cupholder.
Best in Innovation: Garbi
Presented by Zorlu Ventures, the Best in Innovation award went to a company called Garbi. The startup makes a smart trash can that recognizes items you throw away and reorders them for you from local e-commerce retailers. The founder, Brandon Bourn, told the audience Garbi is also working on a recycling feature that would let Garbi’s garbage cans “sort” items into trash, recycling, or compost.
Overall Winner: Soggy Food Sucks
Michael Wolf stated that the overall winner solved a big consumer problem with a simple solution. The award went to the wonderfully named Soggy Food Sucks, which makes a patented peel-and-stick patch that absorbs condensation and to keep your food fresh — and never soggy — during transit.
We chatted with founder Bill Birgen (a former aerospace engineer!) a few weeks ago about his company and their mission to do one thing: keep restaurant leftovers and food delivery at its best.
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