Since 2016, our Innovation Awards have been dedicated to celebrating individuals, teams, and brands who go above and beyond the status quo. We give props to those who continue to evolve their businesses to meet and often exceed the ever-changing needs of Australian consumers.
Congratulations to the following brands that have been shortlisted in this year's Awards. Stay tuned to find out who the winners are!
AI Innovation
Applications of AI have been around for years in ways you might not expect but it's no doubt accelerated in the past few years. This year's finalists have been quick to adopt the technology to update their products and services, with changes to their customer service, loan approval, and recruitment processes.
App Innovation
The shortlisted brands for the App Innovation category impressed our judges with how easy they're making it for customers to access features and benefits. Tyro BYO gives merchants the ability to accept payments within their app and More and CommBank's partnership allows customers to access their More account via the CommBank app.
Appliance Innovation
The average Aussie might not be living like the Jetsons just yet, but these brands are bringing innovation to everyday household appliances. Dreame's X40 ultra robot vacuum and mop has an auto-empty and self-cleaning feature while JURA has created a fully-automated coffee machine with double the performance and full flexibility.
B2B Innovation
The B2B Innovation category received the greatest number of entries in this year's Awards. Our shortlisted brands are working hard to innovate in several different industries including banking and payments, healthcare and real estate. Dedicating resources to come up with genuinely innovative ideas is hard to do so we're really pleased to recognise so many shortlisted brands for this category.
Banking and Payments Innovation
The competition in the Banking and Payments category was tough this year. Tyro BYO launched the first product in Australia that leverages Tap to Pay on iPhone. Archa's partnership with SAP Concur has enabled businesses to obtain real-time transaction data from cards, a capability previously exclusive to banks. Meanwhile Instarem's in-app experience gives customers bank-grade security with fintech flexibility and RelayPay allows Aussies to make payments with crypto.
Beauty Product Innovation
New beauty products are released all the time but it's rare to see one that is truly different to what's already on your vanity. This year's finalists have taken it up a notch with innovations that are sure to delight. Congratulations to our shortlisted brands Dermal Therapy, Naked Sundays and ghd!
Digital Assets & Web3 Innovation
As a relatively new industry, businesses in the Web3 space aren't just breaking the mould - oftentimes they're creating it. This year's finalists in the Digital Asset and Web3 category presented outstanding entries. We're excited to shortlist Verida, Session, Swyftx and Monochrome for this category.
Innovation Champion
The Innovation Champion award recognises individuals shepherding change within their company or broader industry. Entrants are asked to provide two testimonials from clients or colleagues and this year's finalists really stood out from the crowd. Congratulations to Leigh Sherry from Wini Health and Natasha Lee from desk.coach.
Insurance Innovation
This year's finalists are changing the way Aussies insure their cars, pets, health and travel for the better. ROLLiN's Safe 'n Save feature rewards Aussies for driving safely and helps to keep our roads safer. Meanwhile Medibank's Live Better Rewards program is rewarding Aussies for looking after their health.
Investment Innovation
This year's investment innovation entrants put forward an exceptional suite of innovations that are changing the way Aussies invest their money. Some of these include innovating security measures, building in greater flexibility to the investing process, and developing AI summaries of market information. Congratulations to our finalists.
Lending Innovation
The process of borrowing money and securing finance can be extremely stressful, especially in the current interest rate environment. Congratulations to this year's finalists for building a number of impressive lending innovations.
Mattress Innovation
We're excited to announce the finalists of our inaugural Mattress Innovation award. The Koala Plus Mattress is engineered for deeper, more restful sleep with thermoregulation and customisable comfort technologies. Emma's Sleep Luxe Pro mattress has also been shortlisted and is built with materials that are designed to cradle and support the body at its natural lying position.
Most Innovative Team
The Most Innovative Team award recognises brands for building a culture of innovation within their teams. Entrants are asked to provide two testimonials from clients or colleagues and this year's finalists brought some incredibly novel ideas to the table. A big congratulations to Fast Cover, Block Earner and desk.coach for being shortlisted this year.
Online Customer Service Innovation
Gone are the days 'customer service' meant waiting on a landline phone for hours on end. This year's Online Customer Service Innovation entrants are changing the way their customers work through issues. Many of our entrants have been quick to adapt AI into their systems and processes, making it easier for customers to reach a resolution.
Retail Product Innovation
Did you know that 30,000 new products are introduced each year with 95% of them failing? That's why Finder's Innovation Awards are judged both on the actual innovation itself as well as the product impact. Our finalists for 2024 created exceptional innovations in product categories you might not expect including sleep aids, pot plants, mattresses and beauty.
Social Impact Innovation
Research shows businesses creating social impact are valued by both customers and employees alike. However, building a business that is both commercially viable and demonstrates a positive social impact is incredibly hard to do. That's why this year our judges only shortlisted two entries for the Social Impact category. Congratulations to QBE and G&C Mutual Bank.
Tech Innovation
Tech innovations aren't limited to the tech industry - this year's entrants came from several different industries including energy, deathcare and healthcare. We're excited to shortlist our finalists Amber Electric, Updoc, Origin, Bare and Clinrol.
Telco Innovation
This year's Telco Innovation entrants have made some exciting updates in the NBN, telecommunications and mobile phone provider space. Some of these include activ8me's Sky Muster Plus Premium Plan, which gives people in remote areas unlimited data access at an affordable price point. Meanwhile amaysim made the typically frustrating process of using data overseas much more simple and TPG built a mobile private network for business-critical services.
Travel Innovation
Despite cost of living pressures, the travel industry is booming. The Travel Innovation award celebrates brands that are working hard to make the travel experience more enjoyable and easier to access. This year's entrants touched on all facets of the travel industry - including travel money, insurance and rewards.
How we choose the winners and finalists
A judging panel of Finder experts review and score the submissions based on the entry criteria for each category. View the entry and scoring guidelines for more information.
If you have questions or want to find out more about the Finder Innovation Awards, then please get in touch with the Finder Awards team via awards@finder.com.
Finder Innovation Awards Terms & Conditions
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