ISPO Brandnew publishes ‘best newcomers’ list
ISPO Brandnew has circulated its final winners for 2022, in recognition of the year’s “best newcomers” across three categories.
One overall winner and one special mention each from both China’s Alibaba.com business-to-business sourcing platform and Germany-based outdoor retailer Globetrotter were selected.
The competition has been running since 2000 in connection with sports industry trade fair ISPO, the last edition of which concluded in Munich at the end of November following participation by 1,700 exhibitors hailing from over 50 countries. Its aim is to spotlight the best start-ups in the business across three categories: Outdoor, Adventure and Snowsports; Performance, Body and Mind; and Sports Technology and Platforms.
A judging panel of multidisciplinary entrepreneurs first narrowed 80 applicants down to 15 finalists. All were asked to deliver 90-second pitches from the main stage of the show’s Future Lab area on November 29 before the jury and an industry audience, who then chose the winners.
Australian performance brand Ida Sports was named overall winner for its Classica 22 Women’s Soccer Cleats FG football boots (pictured). The company, which makes shoes that have been specially designed for the female foot, initially beat out the competition to top the Performance, Body and Mind category. Its innovations include tailor-made toe boxes, a narrower heal and “unique” cleat placements adapted to women’s feet to help relieve sole pressure. Earlier this month, the brand was also named among the five finalists of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge.
German smartphone add-on Heat It, a small attachment device which deploys concentrated heat at temperatures of up to 51 degrees Celsius to treat insect bites from mosquitoes, horseflies, bees and wasps, and relieve itchiness, won the Outdoor, Adventure and Snowsports category.
Italy’s Covision Media, meanwhile, ranked first in Sports Technology and Platforms. The company’s 3D scanner, capable of creating digital twins of physical products in 3D, primarily footwear and backpacks, is already used by La Sportica, Gore-Tex, Geox, Salewa and more.
Materials start-up Amphico (formerly Amphibio)’s 100% recyclable, multi-layer Amphitex mono-material, billed as an alternative to conventional waterproof breathable textiles (WBTs), was singled out by Alibaba and awarded access to its infrastructure for business development purposes. The business took first place in the Terra Carta Design Lab competition last spring.
Globetrotter’s pick was Bajao, the makers of inflatable trekking tent Bajao Cabin, which has been adapted for standup paddleboarding (SUP) and can be attached to SUP boards in less than two minutes, the brand says.
Image: Ida Sports.
