The jury of NEXT>IN SUSTAINABILITY has decided. After thorough deliberations and review of the shortlist nominees in the categories “Fashion”, “Food” and “Beauty”,  the winners have now been determined: Natascha von Hirschhausen wowed the judges in the Fashion category, Nâmeco Cosmetics won the Beauty category, and Plastic2Beans  was the best Food Startup! The finalists in the “Innovation” category made their big live appearance yesterday at the QVC Startup Pitch Final at SXSW, the world’s largest tech and creative festival. The founder of Pottburri was able to convince the international jury of the startup’s particularly high level of innovation!

With the NEXT>IN SUSTAINABILITY startup competition, QVC honors founders whose products bring more sustainability into our everyday lives.

“The 21st century will be the century of sustainability. Consumers also see it that way; for 70 percent, sustainability will increase in importance. Creative startups are showing us what is possible here. The award-winning founders are not only bold, but have above all developed innovative ideas for the fashion, beauty and food sectors. High social and ecological standards were important to the jury. The award-winning products will be presented on all QVC channels in the coming weeks. I hope that many companies will follow these examples because it’s important that everyone follows suit. Companies and consumers: You can help. I buy fair! I produce fairly!”, said Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Entrepreneurship and responsibility for people and the environment

The digital jury meeting took place on March 2. The most important selection criterion was production in accordance with high social and ecological standards. An interdisciplinary jury ensured that the resulting sustainable products also look great, feel good, or taste excellent:

Natascha von Hirschhausen: The sustainable premium fashion label produces handmade designer fashion in the center of Berlin. Elegant and simple fashion is created from purely natural materials – regionally and plastic-free.

Plastic2Beans:The Cologne-based startup produces coffee from sustainably grown Ethiopian Arabica beans. Their goal is also to promote plastic recycling in Ethiopia through a transfer of raw materials, knowledge and technology.

Nâmeco Cosmetics: The beauty startup focuses on regional biodiversity in Germany and produces locally sourced, locally produced sustainable natural cosmetics.

In addition to various coaching offers for the winners, the products will be included in the high-reach sales channels of the omnichannel retailer QVC – and thus get the chance to find their way into the closets, kitchens and bathrooms of 1.8 million customers in Germany and Austria.

Big pitch competition at SXSW

In the fourth category, QVC selected the startup with the highest degree of innovation. The five contenders for the title presented their sustainable innovation to an international jury at the official QVC pitch at SXSW Online.

The founders’ impressive ideas ranged from biodegradable flower pots and a platform for transparency in the food industry, to lignin-based products, water flavor through scent, and a digital reusable system for food delivery. With such a diverse selection, the tension was high in the final pitch NEXT>IN SUSTAINABILITY – most innovative startups from Germany. The winner was the startup Pottburri, which convinced the jury with a sustainable flower pot that can be planted together with the plant and decomposes into biomass. The founder is now looking forward to receiving a ticket to participate in SXSW 2022 and traveling to Austin, Texas next year.