Reasons to Read

On March 25–26, 2025, the “Shark Reef” Startup Pitch at Shoptalk Spring 2025 saw 12 early-stage retail-technology innovators compete to win the Judges’ Choice and Audience Choice awards.

We present highlights from the competition in this recap report. Discover solutions spanning the customer experience and business efficiency, and find out which startups won!

Coresight Research is a research partner of Shoptalk Spring 2025, an annual conference that explores the latest trends, innovations and challenges in the retail industry. Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research, emceed the Startup Pitch and served as the lead judge.

Lead image: The winners and judges at the Shoptalk Spring 2025 “Shark Reef” Startup Pitch
Source: Shoptalk

Other relevant research:

• Retail 2025: 10 Trends in Retail Technology
• Retail 2025: 10 AI Trends—An Inflection Point in the GenAI Revolution
• Visit the Coresight Research Retail Technology Hub to explore reports, data and competitive landscapes on technology.

More on Shoptalk Spring:

• The associated event presentation: Shoptalk Spring 2025 “Shark Reef” Startup Pitch: Event Format and Competitors
• The Coresight Research Innovator Profile series provides more detail on each Startup Pitch innovator.
• Catch up on insights from all Shoptalk events here.