dunnhumby announces 2026 EMEA Retail Innovation Forum and launches innovation competition for retail technology & AI startups

• dunnhumby Retail Innovation Forum returns to London in April 2026
• Ecosystem Startup of the Year Competition launches for retail and CPG technology startups, with winning startup receiving fast-track access to NRF Paris Innovators’ Showcase

London, UK, 26 February 2026 | dunnhumby has today announced the return of the EMEA Retail Innovation Forum, which will take place in London on 21 April 2026. This exclusive event is expected to feature over 200 retail and retail technology executives, founders, and investors.

To continue its commitment to cutting-edge innovation, dunnhumby has also launched the Ecosystem Startup of the Year Competition, a new initiative designed to showcase the most innovative adoption-ready retail and consumer goods technology startups.

Open to businesses with early commercial traction, the competition provides a chance for emerging innovators to gain visibility with leading retailers, brands and investors. Technology must have been introduced and validated in the market within the last three years, and be live in a retail environment or in a paid pilot phase (concept-stage solutions will not be considered). The winners of the competition will also receive fast-tracked inclusion in the highly coveted NRF Innovators’ Showcase at NRF Paris.

Applications are open from today, 26 February 2026, until 31 March 2026, and finalists will be invited to pitch live on stage at the dunnhumby Retail Innovation Forum in London in April, where the winner will be announced.

“Europe is home to some of the most exciting retail and consumer technology innovation anywhere in the world, but too often those startups struggle to cut through at a global level,” says Leo Nagdas, Founder of dunnhumby’s Retail Innovation Network and member of the NRF Innovation Advisory Committee. “This competition is about creating a clear, credible pathway for high-potential founders to be seen by the industry’s most influential decision-makers at dunnhumby’s and NRF’s events.”

Senior retail and retail technology leaders are invited to apply to join the Retail Innovation Forum event in London using this link. European startup founders who would like to participate in the Retail Startup of the Year Competition are invited to explore more information about the selection criteria and submit their applications using this link or by emailing [email protected] .

About dunnhumby

The science of serving every customer. Together. At scale.

dunnhumby helps businesses grow through faster, better decision making, as the essential intelligence layer connecting the world’s leading retailers and brands.

Sitting at the intersection of loyalty, media, and category management, dunnhumby, helps to navigate complex and competing priorities. Combining AI-enabled science, software, trusted advice, and 35+ years of dedicated retail experience, dunnhumby is recognised as a leader in connecting customer insight and action to build loyalty, drive performance, and deliver results that last.

With offices in locations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, dunnhumby works with brands including Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, and L'Oréal, to make smarter decisions today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.dunnhumby.com.

About dunnhumby ventures

dunnhumby ventures is dunnhumby's strategic innovation and venture capital arm with a mandate to partner and invest in early-stage retail technology start-ups that embrace data and artificial intelligence for innovation along the customer's path to purchase. We foster industry collaboration via the Retail Innovation Network, our exclusive ecosystem of senior retail innovation leaders, and seek to align with partners at an early stage to supercharge their ability to take innovation to market by tapping into dunnhumby's retail industry expertise, pioneering data science assets, and global retailer and supplier partner network. Our areas of focus include artificial intelligence (AI), data capture and enrichment, retail media, customer engagement, category management, supply chain, and commerce. For more visit: https://www.dunnhumby.com/ventures/