<p>By Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI</p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/fmitech-2024-pitch-competition-winner.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=6be57381_1" style="margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;float:right;margin-left:20px;" class="-align-right" alt="FMItech 2024 Pitch Competition Winner" sf-size="100" /><p>When Augmodo clinched the champion title at the FMItech Pitch Competition, they didn’t anticipate their innovative approach to food retail tech would become a media sensation. Their success story is both inspiring and a roadmap for future competitors.</p><p><a href="https://www.augmodo.com/" target="_blank">Augmodo</a>, the third-annual <a href="https://www.fmi.org/midwinter-conference/b2b-meetings/fmitech">FMItech Pitch Competition</a> champion at the FMI <a href="https://www.fmi.org/midwinter-conference">Midwinter Executive Conference</a>, has significantly advanced strides in food retail technology. Their AI-driven solutions and wearable cameras enhance inventory tracking and e-commerce picking efficiency. This win catapulted Augmodo into the spotlight, showcasing their privacy-first, people-centric and augmented workforce approach.</p><p>The competition featured three finalists presenting their cutting-edge solutions. Augmodo’s pitch resonated with the audience, earning them the coveted champion title. This victory validated Augmodo’s vision and underscored their potential impact on the industry. Their primary focus remains improving efficiency and convenience for retailers and consumers. Augmodo’s flagship solution, Associate Dashcams, creates a nearly real-time realogram (a realistic image of a specific shelf in a store), detecting out-of-stock items, enhancing product searches for pickers and improving compliance — all passively as associates carry out their normal duties, requiring no additional training or operational changes.</p><p>Augmodo’s success garnered significant press coverage following their victory. Industry publications like <em>Food Dive</em>, <em>Supermarket News</em>, and <em>Grocery Dive</em> featured Augmodo in articles highlighting their win at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference. These pieces delved into Augmodo’s winning pitch, their innovative technology and the potential impact they could have on food retail.</p><p>Beyond industry-specific coverage, Augmodo also caught the attention of broader tech and business news outlets. <em>TechCrunch</em> published a detailed article emphasizing the disruptive nature of Augmodo’s inventory management system, which received enthusiastic responses from event attendees. <em>Business Insider</em> included Augmodo in a roundup of notable startups making waves in the retail sector, citing their win as a significant milestone. <em>AR Insider</em> features Augmodo in their article, <a href="https://arinsider.co/2024/02/28/augmodo-uses-ai-ar-to-find-your-avocados/" target="_blank">Can AI & AR Help Find Your Avocados?</a></p><p>Local press celebrated Augmodo’s win, highlighting their roots in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and the community’s pride in their national success. Augmodo’s CEO and founders were invited for interviews on popular business podcasts to discuss their vision, journey and the future of food retail technology.</p><p>Augmodo’s advice for tech companies eyeing the 2025 competition focuses on understanding the food retail industry’s challenges and opportunities, tailoring pitches to address specific pain points and showcasing technology’s innovative aspects. They stress the importance of articulating tangible benefits, practicing the pitch thoroughly and being prepared for questions from judges and the audience. </p><p>The company advises tech companies to demonstrate scalability, highlight success stories, show passion and authenticity, and take advantage of networking opportunities during the competition. These tips can help companies succeed in the FMItech Pitch Competition.</p><blockquote>As a tech innovator trying to get into grocery retail, FMI Midwinter and the TechPitch Competition really put us on the map and helped kick start our momentum.<footer>Ross Finman, CEO & Founder, Augmodo</footer></blockquote><p>Augmodo’s journey underscores the value of innovation, preparation and a clear vision for transforming the food retail industry. As they continue to refine their technology and make strides in the sector, Augmodo stands as a shining example of how innovative solutions can revolutionize the way we approach food retail.</p><p>Applications for the 2025 FMItech Pitch Competition are now open and due by September 6, 2024. We encourage you to apply today! </p><p><a href="https://go.fmi.org/fmitech-pitch-competition" class="button">Submit Your Pitch</a></p>
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