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LVMH Group has announced the winners of its ninth LVMH Innovation Award, which was split into three prizes. LVMH image and environment director Antoine Arnault revealed the three winners at a ceremony in Paris during tech conference Vivatech on Thursday.
The “most promising” prize went to French startup Omi, a content creation studio that uses 3D models to create high-quality visuals at a reduced cost. It has previously collaborated with LVMH-owned beauty brand Guerlain. “Working with a maison founded two centuries ago using the most advanced 3D and artificial intelligence technologies expresses LVMH’s bold, innovation-inspired vision,” said Hugo Borensztein, co-founder and CEO of Omi, in a statement.
L’Oréal Group and Omi announced a partnership on the same day, and demoed a new design process using the startup’s latest capabilities, also during Vivatech. “As online retail becomes more competitive, speed and quality in product visuals have become critical,” Borensztein said.
US customer intelligence firm Kahoona won LVMH’s Best Business Award (the solution that most effectively drives business growth and operational transformation) for its collaboration with Dior. Kahoona, led by CEO Gal Rapoport, who is also co-founder, focuses on personalisation technologies for e-commerce.
The Best Impact Prize (celebrating “technology that advances sustainability, ethics, responsibility and accessibility”) went to French startup Genesis for its collaboration with Moët Hennessy, the LVMH Group’s wines and spirits division. Genesis has developed a digital tool to measure, monitor and improve soil health. “Genesis shines a light on the mysterious, yet absolutely essential world hidden literally beneath our feet — the soil — in order to ensure the sustainability of raw materials, from grapes to cotton,” said Genesis CEO Adrienne de Malleray in a statement.
The LVMH Innovation Prize recognises the technology companies shaping the future of the luxury and fashion industries. Last year’s winner was generative AI startup FancyTech and 2023’s winner was repair platform Save Your Wardrobe (SYW), a London-based company that connects store representatives with tailors, cobblers and restorers to fix clothing, shoes, jewellery and bags.
“Innovation has always energised the growth of our maisons and their desirability. This innovation is not an end in itself, but rather a means to achieve excellence. I’m always delighted to meet these young entrepreneurs, and to see them working with our centuries-old maisons and be recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work,” Bernard Arnault, LVMH chair and CEO, said in a statement.
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