Innovation Hub for Bakers: Start-ups Take Centre Stage at iba.START UP AREA 2025

The iba.START UP AREA is set to return to Hall 13 at iba 2025, once again spotlighting cutting-edge innovation and entrepreneurial drive in the baking sector. Following a successful premiere in 2023, the dedicated start-up zone will provide a dynamic platform for young companies to showcase novel business models, tech solutions, and sustainable approaches tailored to the baking industry.

Visitors can expect a vibrant mix of daily pitch sessions, product demos, and networking opportunities. The area includes a modern, open forum and a dedicated stage where founders will present their ideas—ranging from streamlined ordering apps to circular food technologies—with two-minute pitches scheduled each day from Sunday to Wednesday.

Start-ups on show include:

• Snaggit (Germany), a tech start-up offering an app that accelerates pre-ordering and payment, reducing customer wait times.

• Go German, a recruitment agency helping the bakery sector connect with trained workers from Southeast Asia.

• ProSeed (Switzerland), which turns brewing by-products into functional ingredients like protein-rich barley flakes for baking.

• Fonte Ingredientes (Brazil/UK), tackling food waste with natural preservation techniques to keep baked goods fresher for longer.

“The iba.START UP AREA is where pioneering spirit meets opportunity,” says Susann Seidemann, Head of iba. “We’re excited to once again provide this platform to the next generation of baking innovators.”

A special highlight on 21 May will see start-ups from iba 2023 return to share their development journeys. Speakers include WeCarry, known for its reusable bread bags, and Peerox, a Fraunhofer Institute spin-off presenting its AI assistant ‘Maddox’ for production lines. Also featured are HY5, creators of reusable cotton gloves for bakery staff, and FairCup, which offers eco-friendly reusable solutions for takeaway packaging.

Opportunities for Emerging Brands

The iba.START UP AREA is still accepting applications. Eligible companies must be less than 10 years old, employ no more than 50 people, and generate no more than EUR10m in annual turnover. Both domestic and international start-ups with newly developed or significantly improved baking-related products, services or processes are invited to apply.

German-based companies may also qualify for government subsidies through the Young Innovators trade fair funding programme from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Public Voting and the iba.START UP AWARD

Exhibiting start-ups will compete for the iba.START UP AWARD 2025. From 5 May, registered iba visitors can vote online for their favourite pitches—casting up to ten votes per start-up. The award ceremony will be held on 21 May at 3:30 pm at the iba.START UP AREA stage.

iba 2025 once again positions itself as a global launchpad for the future of baking, supporting bold ideas that blend technology, sustainability, and industry know-how.