A number of startups, including the winner of the latest Leicester Startups Accelerator, are amongst the finalists for the Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024.

Moti Me is up for two awards, whilst Table & Kin and The Bug Factory will compete against each other in the Innovation in Food and Drink category.

The award winning disability app Snowball has also been shortlisted for two awards – Innovation in Sport, Wellbeing & Accessibility and Student Innovation.

Another former accelerator participant STAK Orthopaedics will be hoping to bag the award for Innovation in Med-Tech & Life Sciences.

A record number of entries were submitted this year, with judges reviewing almost 100 nominations from local businesses, non-profits, researchers, education, and other organisations.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s ceremony will be held at Sport Park Pavilion 4 on 20 March.

Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, Chair of the LLEP Innovation Board, said:

“The brilliant response to our call for awards nominations is clear evidence of the growing focus Leicestershire businesses place on the importance of innovation as they start and build new firms, deliver new concepts, increase their productivity, and accelerate their business impact.

“The awards will once again serve to recognise, reward and celebrate this unrelenting focus on innovation within our business communities.

“This is a focus which is delivering for our businesses, but also for our economy and our communities, as our businesses grow, achieve, and prosper.”

Phoebe Dawson, LLEP Chief Executive, said:

“The awards are one of the most exciting and dynamic celebrations of local innovators in the Midlands.

“Record nomination numbers demonstrate that the desire continues to grow to celebrate and share ideas that are increasing productivity and growth across our city and county.”