Food & Beverage Innovation Lab
Transform the culinary world with technology. Develop solutions for food safety, supply chain management, restaurant operations, or consumer food experiences. Perfect for chefs, food scientists, and tech innovators.
Themes
Select one of these themes when submitting your creative business idea. Themes are organized by tracks.
Food & Beverage Themes
Create a solution that helps restaurants optimize their operations and reduce costs.
Restaurants operate on thin margins and face numerous operational challenges—staffing, inventory management, energy costs, waste reduction, and customer service. Manual processes and lack of data-driven insights make optimization difficult. A comprehensive solution is needed that provides operational analytics, automates routine tasks, optimizes staffing schedules, reduces energy consumption, minimizes waste, improves customer experience, and helps restaurants increase profitability while reducing costs.
Develop a platform that connects food entrepreneurs with investors and mentors.
Food entrepreneurs face unique challenges in accessing funding and mentorship specific to the food industry. Traditional startup platforms don't address the specific needs of food businesses. A dedicated platform is needed that connects food entrepreneurs with food-focused investors, provides industry-specific mentorship, offers resources for food business development, facilitates networking, and creates pathways for food entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with the right support and capital.
Build a tool that helps consumers make informed food choices based on nutrition and sustainability.
Consumers want to make healthy and sustainable food choices but lack accessible, clear information at the point of purchase. Nutrition labels are complex, and sustainability information is often missing. A tool is needed that provides simple, actionable information about nutrition, environmental impact, ingredient sourcing, and health benefits, helping consumers make informed decisions that align with their health goals and values while shopping for food.
Sustainable Living Themes
Create a solution that helps restaurants optimize their operations and reduce costs.
Restaurants operate on thin margins and face numerous operational challenges—staffing, inventory management, energy costs, waste reduction, and customer service. Manual processes and lack of data-driven insights make optimization difficult. A comprehensive solution is needed that provides operational analytics, automates routine tasks, optimizes staffing schedules, reduces energy consumption, minimizes waste, improves customer experience, and helps restaurants increase profitability while reducing costs.
Build a tool that helps consumers make informed food choices based on nutrition and sustainability.
Consumers want to make healthy and sustainable food choices but lack accessible, clear information at the point of purchase. Nutrition labels are complex, and sustainability information is often missing. A tool is needed that provides simple, actionable information about nutrition, environmental impact, ingredient sourcing, and health benefits, helping consumers make informed decisions that align with their health goals and values while shopping for food.
Submission Guide
Submission Guide
Step 1: Register for the Hackathon
- Click the "Register for Hackathon" button on the hackathon page
- Complete your participant profile if you haven't already
- Wait for registration confirmation
Step 2: Submit Your Idea
- Navigate to the idea submission page
- Select your track(s) (1-2 tracks allowed)
- Fill in all required fields:
- Title: A descriptive name for your food tech idea (max 100 characters)
- Short Description: Brief overview (max 200 characters)
- Full Description: Detailed explanation of your idea
- Problem Statement: Select from available problem statements
- Solution Overview: How your idea transforms the food and beverage industry
- Target Audience: Who will benefit from your solution
- Business Model: How you plan to monetize
Step 3: Review and Submit
- Review all information carefully
- Make sure all required fields are filled
- Click "Submit Idea" to finalize your submission
Important Notes
- You can edit your idea until the submission deadline
- Only one idea per participant per hackathon
- Focus on innovation in food safety, supply chain, or consumer experiences
Judging Criteria
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Innovation (30%)
- Originality and creativity in food tech
- Novel approach to food and beverage challenges
- Uniqueness in the market
Impact (25%)
- Potential to transform the food industry
- User value and engagement
- Scalability of the solution
Feasibility (25%)
- Technical feasibility
- Realistic implementation timeline
- Resource requirements
Business Model (20%)
- Clear revenue model
- Market opportunity
- Competitive advantage
Rules
Hackathon Rules
General Rules
- All participants must be registered before the hackathon starts
- Teams must consist of 2-5 members
- Each team can submit only one idea
- All work must be original and created during the hackathon period
- Participants must follow the code of conduct
Submission Rules
- Ideas must be submitted before the deadline
- All required fields must be completed
- Submissions must align with at least one problem statement
- Focus on food safety, supply chain, restaurant operations, or consumer experiences
Code of Conduct
- Respect all participants, mentors, and judges
- Maintain a professional and inclusive environment
- No harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behavior
- Follow all platform guidelines and terms of service
Disqualification
Violations of these rules may result in disqualification from the hackathon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need culinary or restaurant experience?
No! We welcome participants from all backgrounds. Whether you're a developer, designer, marketer, or food enthusiast, your skills are valuable in creating food tech solutions.
Can I focus on sustainable food solutions?
Absolutely! Sustainable food solutions are highly encouraged and align with our Sustainable Living track. Focus on reducing waste, improving supply chains, or promoting sustainable practices.
What if my idea addresses food safety?
Food safety is a critical focus area! We welcome innovative ideas for food safety monitoring, traceability, quality control, and consumer protection.
Timeline
Idea Submission
December 10, 2025 - December 10, 2025
Submit your creative ideas during this stage. This is your opportunity to present innovative solutions that address the hackathon's problem statements. Make sure to complete all required fields and align your submission with at least one problem statement.
Idea Shortlisting
December 11, 2025 - December 11, 2025
Ideas are evaluated and shortlisted by judges and mentors based on innovation, feasibility, impact, and business model. Shortlisted teams will be notified and can proceed to the next stage.
Finals
December 12, 2025 - December 12, 2025
Final evaluation and winners announcement. Teams present their solutions to judges and investors. Winners are announced and prize distribution takes place. Celebrate the achievements of all participants and the winning teams.
Prizes
Compete for exciting prizes and opportunities. Winners will receive cash prizes, mentorship, and investment consideration.
$7,000
Grand Prize Winner
Benefits
- •Cash prize of $7,000
- •6 months of mentorship
- •Industry connections with restaurants and food companies
- •Featured on our platform
- •Demo day presentation opportunity
$3,500
Runner-up
Benefits
- •Cash prize of $3,500
- •3 months of mentorship
- •Industry connections
- •Platform feature
$1,750
Second Runner-up
Benefits
- •Cash prize of $1,750
- •1 month of mentorship
- •Platform recognition
$1,000
Most Innovative Food Tech Idea
Benefits
- •Cash prize of $1,000
- •Special recognition
- •Mentorship session
About Us
About the Organizers
Food Tech Innovation Network
We are a community of chefs, food industry professionals, technology innovators, and culinary enthusiasts dedicated to transforming the food and beverage industry through technology.
Our Mission
To empower innovators to build the next generation of food platforms, restaurant solutions, and culinary tech through collaboration, technology, and creative thinking.
Our Team
Our team consists of food industry veterans, technology experts, chefs, food scientists, and culinary professionals who are passionate about innovation in food tech.
Partners
We work with leading restaurants, food companies, technology partners, and industry organizations to provide participants with the best resources and opportunities.
Contact
For questions or support, please reach out through our platform or email food@blendcreative.com