- The Danish start-up has been crowned the Grand Prize winner, beating 14 other finalists to receive a €50,000 cash grant
- eKuore, MOYU and Apis Innovation won €15,000 each for the Judges Choice Awards
- A total prize pool of nearly €250,000 was awarded to help 19 small companies in 16 countries grow
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, today announced the winner of its Small Business Grant Competition in Europe. byACRE, a Danish start-up that designs and produces mobility solutions, won the Grand Prize of €50,000 to help them grow and achieve their ambitions. They were identified as the most innovative and passionate small business across Europe out of over 2,100 entries – the highest number of nominations to date.
byACRE was founded in 2015 and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Their clear growth strategy and pioneering product were recognised by the jury as deserving of first place, an achievement they hope will help them dispel the stigma associated with mobility challenges and help people stay active without compromising their lifestyles. Through a focus on aesthetics and functionality, byACRE designs rollators for people, not patients, aiming to help many around the world rediscover their freedom of mobility and improve their quality of life.
In this year’s first-ever pan-European contest, three companies were also awarded the Judges Choice Award, receiving €15,000 each:
- Digital Excellence: eKuore, a Spanish smart medical devices company, was recognized for their clear digital integration. They developed the first digital sound scope on the wireless market that can be connected to a smartphone or tablet to record and store information to achieve more reliable diagnoses.
- Sustainability Champion: MOYU, headquartered in Amsterdam, create sustainable writing products that are erasable and rewritable up to 500 times. For every notebook sold, Moyu has a tree planted – a sustainable solution that also gives back.
- Innovation Mastermind: Apis Innovation’s Thermosolar Hive, an innovative anti-varroa mite beehive founded in the Czech Republic, won for solving a clear worldwide problem with their efforts. The Thermosolar Hive facility kills off the varroa mite, the largest enemy of bees, helping provide ecological and economical solutions for beekeepers, who then produce healthier honey for their customers.
FedEx is also pleased to announce that it has given an additional €10,000 to each of the 15 small businesses from 15 countries in Europe that were awarded the People’s Choice Award, voted for by the public in their country (full list in Appendix). The total prize pool of nearly €250,000 has reached 19 small companies in 16 European countries.
Established in the U.S. in 2012, the FedEx Small Business Grant Competition seeks to help businesses of 50 or fewer employees achieve their growth ambitions. In Europe, the competition was first launched in 2016 in three countries, building to five countries by 2019, and setting the stage for this year’s largest-ever competition. The contest continues to expand year over year around the world, recognising SMEs who show passion and innovation.
Helena Jansson, SVP Finance International, FedEx Express and one of the Small Business Grant Competition jury members, said: “In an uncertain time when small businesses need more support than ever, we’re thrilled to award and recognise the winners of this year’s competition. It was a tough choice given the outstanding quality of entries, but our four main winners showed exceptional ambition and innovation, and we’re excited to help them write their next chapters in 2022 and beyond.”
