JA Europe Moves Annual Company of the Year Competition Online
July 22–24, 2020
Day 3:
After a whirlwind two days of interviews, presentations, and talks, student teams, teachers, volunteers, and JA friends and staff from around the world tuned in to the livestream for the grand finale of the 31st JA Europe Company of the Year Competition.
The ceremony began with host Catarina Furtado, followed by words from JA Europe CEO Salvatore Nigro, and JA Portugal CEO Frederico Fezas Vital.
Inspirational videos from around Europe and the world either spoke live or delivered prerecorded messages of encouragement to students, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Portuguese singer Aurea also provided entertainment, performed three beautiful songs for the occasion.
But, of course, the most anticipated part of the ceremony was the announcement of the award winners.
JA Alumni Leadership Award
Public Choice Award
Third place: Sixth Sense from Serbia
Second place: Sigma from Israel
First place: Kaliopa from Bulgaria
Fundação Ageas Social Innovation Award
Winner: Tensopathy from Turkey
EDP Green Entrepreneurship Award
Winner: REN from Slovakia
SONAE Social Entrepreneurship Award
Winner: Sigma from Israel
AT&T Excellence in IT Award
Winner: Bubbles from Denmark
Citi Foundation Client Focus Award
Winner: Helmet Vision from Georgia
Delta Air Lines Innovation Award
Winner: Ecowave from Greece
FedEx Access Award
Winner: Echoo from Belgium (French)
ManpowerGroup “Ready for Work” Award
Winner: Echoo from Belgium (French)
Company of the Year Awards
Third place: Tensopathy from Turkey
Second place: Sigma from Israel
First place: Bubbles from Denmark
Bubbles will also be automatically eligible for The de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award, competing against the first-place winners from the five other JA regional Company of the Year competitions.
If you missed the livestream, catch up with the recording:
Day 2:
While Day 1 was full of excitement with the opening ceremony and virtual trade show, students buckled down on Day 2 as they participated in virtual jury interviews.
Each team joins a panel of jurors, who will view presentations and assess each team before selecting recipients of the signature awards, including the FedEx Access Award, the Manpower Group Ready for Work Award, the JA Alumni Leadership Award, and more! (Read about each award in our wrap-up of Day 1 below.)
While each signature award has its own jury, ten high-level European professionals sit on the main jury, who will decide which teams will win first, second, and third place.
With only one more day to go of this exciting virtual event, we hope students are getting some much-needed and well-deserved rest! Tomorrow is going to be a very big day.
If you have not yet voted for the Public Choice Award, you still can! Voting closes on Day 3 at 11am CET.
Day 1:
The 31st-annual JA Europe Company of the Year Competition kicked off this morning. Originally slated to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, JA Europe brought the event online in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opening ceremonies started off the event, with speakers that included Salvatore Nigro, JA Europe CEO; Federico Fezas Vital, JA Portugal CEO; Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education & Youth; Erol Kiresepi, President of the International Organisation of Employers; and Marcelo de Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal.
Forty student teams from around the region each won their national events to earn their spots in the Company of the Year competition.
Meet the Teams
Albania: Roll and Draw produces games for anyone who wants to have fun, be entertained, and learn at the same time. Roll and Draw’s online games can be played anywhere at any time. Player benefits include improved focus and overall brain function, increased social interaction, and enhanced creativity and self-confidence. Learn more.
Austria: EMBRACELET, founded by 12 students from Vienna, produces and sells self-designed bracelets. The four different EMBRACELET designs support charities tackling different social and environmental problems, and the company donates 50% of profits to associated charities. The customer supports a specific cause based on the color and the symbol on the EMBRACELET. Learn more.
Belgium (Flemish): KazaK produces four types of handy and compact bags that attach to belts. The KazaK is the perfect size to store money, a mobile phone, car keys, and many other items. KazaKs are spacious, comfortable to wear, and sturdy. Customers can even design their own KazaK. Learn more.
Belgium (French): Echooo provides companies data on their own waste management and a way to assess consumption based on sensors inside connected trash cans. This data is visualized and analyzed in a monitoring app, enabling Echooo to guide businesses toward zero waste with personalized services. Echooo strives to raise employee awareness, allow businesses to make rational decisions based on data, and help them comply with new waste regulations. Learn more.
Bulgaria: Kaliopa produces KALIMAZING chocolates from the Rose Valley of Bulgaria. After tending its own rose fields for three years, the company has introduced a rose jam filling with erythritol instead of sugar. The KALIMAZING treats are made of high-class chocolate with rose water, almond filling, and rose jam. A taste to last, a name to remember! Learn more.
Cyprus: Coalfee produces biological and organic charcoal made of something you would never have imagined—espresso coffee waste. When the planet is calling for help and people for charcoal, Coalfee is here to save the day. Learn more.
Czech Republic: FLUN produces a board game that teaches children about ecology, economic thinking, finances, and teamwork. Learn more.
Denmark: Bubbles is a voice server that aims to improve communication between educators and students suffering from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), helping them perform better academically and socially. Bubbles also help schools achieve better learning outcomes for challenged students. The voice server allows noise-cancelled communication between educators and students with ADHD. Learn more.
Estonia: EHA manufactures innovative wireless wooden lamps. On a mission to bring warmth, light, and style into every moment, the EHA Lamp, a combination of upcycled wood and modern technology, is both practical and chic. Learn more.
Finland: Jalo manufactures handmade bow ties out of recycled and surplus materials. The unique, high-quality bow ties are produced with social responsibility supporting the re-employment of long-term unemployed seamsters. Learn more.
France: Lunch & Go strives to protect the environment and improve people’s lives by producing easy-to-use, accessible and useful products. Its kit of eco-friendly lunchtime items packaged in a hand-sewn pouch made of recycled fabric includes bamboo cutlery and toothbrush, a tin of powder-form toothpaste, and an INOX straw with a specialized cleaning brush. Learn more.
Georgia: Helmet Vision aims to help solve one of the biggest problems of the 21st century: helping firefighters. Every day, firefighters die or are injured on duty. The Helmet Vision helmet is equipped with technologies that help firefighters locate obstacles in their paths and determine how far away they are through an interface with their earphones. Learn more.
Germany: rottweil.life stands for innovation and progress. Its app aims to take a giant step toward the digitalization of the oldest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Many tourists never get to see the city’s most unique sights and attractions. The rottweil.life sightseeing app casts a new light on Rottweil and its history, sharing stories that outsiders don’t know. Learn more.
Greece: Ecowave offers practical solutions with a revolutionary product: Bio-veil, the first ever biodegradable paper roll for medical examination tables. Made of Mater-Bi, a biodegradable and compostable bioplastic, Bio-veil feels similar to traditional plastics, but it is biodegradable and compostable according to the EU standard UNI EN 13432, the most important reference for technical materials. Learn more.
Hungary: NoJoke tackles pornography head on. Pornography is one of the biggest problems among today’s youth. NoJoke’s PorNO campaign draws attention to the problematic system on which the porn industry runs and the unhealthy image it paints in the eyes of young people. Learn more.
Iceland: Dyngja educates young people about investments in the stock market so that they will be ready to deal with any obstacles they might encounter while trading. The app consists of an educational tab where users can master all of the main terminology, as well as gain valuable experience in equity investing by trading with artificial money. Learn more.
Ireland: Rí na bhFocal (King of the Words) encourages language learning and cultural preservation through modern educational materials, including a variety of games for all ages. The product is scalable and can be applied to every language, both minority ones and those widely spoken. Learn more.
Isle of Man: Solace manufactures Occativity, a USB device to help retailers track customer footfall using the Wi-Fi signal from a mobile device. Occativity then produce a report for retail clients, who can then use the data to plan promotions and staffing levels to maximize sales. Learn more.
Israel: Sigma developed the AquaSense system, a smart bracelet that saves lives. The bracelet contains both a water sensor and a vibration activation switch that can identify a drowning person. The receiver captures a radio wave signal and transforms it into a cellular signal, sending it to the app. When the app receives a signal of distress, it and notifies emergency contacts of choice, such as parents, lifeguards, and EMS. Learn more.
Italy: Green Savers JA produces APS 2.0, an intelligent mechanical structure capable of protecting crops by adapting it to different climate conditions. Using a microcontroller board, four sensors, and two different motorized protective sheets, APS 2.0 chooses the type of protection to offer to crops, protecting them from excessive sunlight, rain, hail, frost, and wind. Learn more.
Latvia: Clean Clever produces zero-waste dishwashing products that harm no one. Its first product, a dish-washing capsule, is made based on a proprietary recipe. Clean Clever plans to create more products that will help households produce less waste when carrying out the daily task of dishwashing. Learn more.
Lithuania: Insquare focuses on comfort, style, and freedom of movement. By adopting the newest technologies, Insquare’s Smart Hoodie includes hidden pockets that allow the wearer to feel safer, more comfortable, and less cluttered because he or she doesn’t need to carry an extra bag. Learn more.
Luxembourg: FrëschKëscht boxes contain regional, seasonal, healthy, and fresh food. There are two sizes and variants of the FrëschKëscht boxes are available in two sizes and two varieties, a classic option, which contains vegetables, fruit, milk, eggs and a weekly special such as jam or mustard, and a vegan option. The boxes can be delivered or picked up at a pickup point. Customers can either buy a single FrëschKëscht or subscribe to receive weekly boxes. Learn more.
Macedonia: Soundsy manufactures and sells acoustic devices made of wood scraps from furniture production. The natural speakers are perfect for music lovers and those who want to spend more time in nature, hiking, and camping. The speakers work without an energy source, by simply connecting to a mobil phone. Learn more.
Malta: Unistory created Landmark, a card game that explores 36 different cultural and historical landmarks in Malta. Players share and compare the traits of each landmark and collect and trade cards. All profits from the game’s sales are being donated to the preservation of these landmarks. Learn more.
Moldova: NoQ allows students to schedule a time slot to pick up their food in advance online, reducing wait time at the cafeteria. Students can order their food from wherever they are, whenever they want. Learn more.
The Netherlands: BackTassen offers a personalized bag for students that is environmentally friendly, user-friendly, durable, and affordable. The BackTas helps students look professional during internships while still representing themselves and their schools. Learn more.
Norway: Current UB hopes to revolutionize wave power through by producing renewable energy from the ocean. The Current UB product can be installed on the rocks by the shore. The company hopes to first address the holiday house market across Norway's coastline and looks to expand and serve both the holiday house market and coastal businesses globally. Learn more.
Poland: Animalki manufactures unconventional and ecological articles for animals, specializing in snuffle mats, toys that develop pets’ senses. Animalki also offers an array of canine tug toys and blankets in many shapes. Learn more.
Portugal: Eco Bags provides consumers with innovative products that offer them an ecological solution. The Eco Bag helps dog owners collect feces outdoors without harming the environment. Produced with sustainable and organic components, the Eco Bag starts to decompose when it comes in contact with animal waste. Learn more.
Romania: Cyber Coffee offers consumers error-free coffee by using a smart ecosystem consisting of a vending machine and a mobile application. Cyber Coffee allows consumers to create the perfect coffee directly from their smartphone and order it in complete safety, giving them the best grab-and-go coffee experience possible. Using the app, users can create custom recipes by choosing from a large variety of high-quality ingredients. Learn more.
Russia: Wonderful Workshop offers stylish and practical denim items made from old jeans, giving them a new life and purpose. All products are handmade, high quality, one-of-a-kind, and made with passion and care. Customers can be sure the products they but from Wonderful Workshop have been created specifically for them. Learn more.
Serbia: Sixth Sense sells a device that makes visually impaired and blind people’s daily lives a little easier by helping them to become more independent. Consisting of a badge and a watch, the Sixth Sense works with the Doppler effect, allowing the user to feel vibration when facing an obstacle on the road. Learn more.
Slovakia: REN created a universal solid cleaner that is easy to store and effectively removes grease in water of any temperature. It can also remove water deposits and mold. The cleaner is harmless to the environment and fully ecological, biodegradable, and made of all-natural materials. REN also prevents contamination of residual water. Learn more.
Slovenia: Recolor produces metal color dye cans that can be used as spray cans as well. The user can pick a color of their choice and pour it into the can. Recolor spray cans are environmentally friendly as they are intended for multiple uses and don’t emit aerosol gasses. Learn more.
Spain: Homeily aims to help families fairly distribute domestic work, ensuring equality in the household. The Homeily app is a fun and original method that helps motivate and entertain participants while unifying and intensifying family ties. Learn more.
Sweden: CAN Marketing provides a renovation service for municipal trash cans in addition to the sale of information and marketing space through its innovative, graffiti-free trash can decal. CAN Marketing brings trashcans into focus, enabling European cities to become cleaner, more sustainable, and more attractive while offering a unique information and marketing opportunity to support local businesses and urban growth. Learn more.
Switzerland: Mü-Company produces first-class Swiss chocolate from bean to bar. Cocoa beans are sourced exclusively from sustainable organic farms and are fair trade. The foil packaging is biodegradable and the CO2 emissions created during production and transportation are compensated thirtyfold. Learn more.
Turkey: Tensopathy works to improve the quality of life for the 12 million patients worldwide who undergo chemotherapy treatment each year. Of those patients, 68% experience numbness-neuropathy at their fingertips, and continues throughout the patient's entire life. Tensopathy works to prevent the development of neuropathy with a world-class innovative solution. Learn more.
UK: EnviroTent, the only cardboard tent in the UK, is an innovative, sustainable product. As a new business, the EnviroTent team understands the changing times ahead and the need for a more sustainable future. Learn more.
Virtual Stands
After the opening ceremony, student companies participated in jury interviews, followed by a virtual trade show. Event participants, including JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani, met the teams face-to-face via their virtual stands on Coderblock. They were able to ask questions and learn about their journeys during this most challenging year for student companies ever.
The Awards
In addition to the first, second, and third place Company of the Year awards, the student companies are competing for eight signature awards as well as the Public Choice Award and the JA Alumni Europe Leadership Award.
Public Choice Award 2020
This year, all student teams competing in the JA Company of the Year Competition are automatically qualified for the Public Choice Award, which will be decided through an online vote. The winner of the Award is up to the public—and the student team’s ability to successfully market and promote their company! The three teams with the highest score of votes will receive mentoring from senior Avanade executives in the upcoming school year 2020-21.
JA Alumni Europe Leadership Award
The award is given to outstanding individual students showing that extra initiative and leadership during the program. Please help us select the best students from your national team.
Signature Awards
The AT&T Excellence in IT Award recognizes the efforts of the student company that demonstrates the best innovation-driven concept, with strong business potential and sustainability, as well as viability and scalability.
The FedEx Access Award was designed to put the principles of global connectivity at the forefront of young people’s minds—to inspire tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and leaders with the scale of what is possible.
The Citi Foundation Client Focus Award recognizes student enterprises that place the client at the heart of their business.
The Delta Air Lines Innovation Award is given to the student company that has an innovative or effective approach to solving a problem or has developed a product that has a functional business model, as well as an idea that has the potential to prosper, has an international prospect, and is easy to implement.
The ManpowerGroup “Ready for Work” Award recognizes team that has best built work readiness skills during the competition.
The Fundação Ageas Social Innovation Award is given to the student company that best addresses societal challenges while having a realistic plan for today’s market.
The EDP Green Entrepreneurship Award goes to the student company that embodies the principles and spirit of green entrepreneurship to the highest extent.
The SONAE Social Entrepreneurship Award goes to the student company that best demonstrates a passion to change social patterns to make them more inclusive and environmentally friendly by introducing new products, services, or technologies or by taking a non-traditional approach.