HuLoop Automation, Portal and RETAiLABS were selected as finalists in the 2027 FMItech Pitch Competition for their solutions addressing some of food industry’s biggest challenges.
By: Jennifer Shawgo, Senior Director, Technology Strategy & Programs, FMI
The FMItech Pitch finalists are in. HuLoop Automation, Portal and RETAiLABS have advanced from the six-company FMItech Pitch Class of 2027 and will compete live at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference in January.
Each company is tackling a different challenge food retailers and CPG businesses face every day, from time-consuming manual work to retail media measurement and the difficulty of turning information into action.
HuLoop Automation: Streamlining Grocery Operations Through AI-Powered Workflow Automation
Everyday processes such as updating prices, managing cost changes and moving information between systems can take up hours of an employee's day. HuLoop Automation helps organizations find where work gets stuck, automate repeatable tasks and coordinate processes across departments.
HuLoop's AI-powered platform works with existing enterprise systems to automate routine tasks and coordinate workflows across departments, while keeping employees involved where judgment or approval is needed. For food retailers and wholesalers, the goal is fewer errors, shorter processing times and more time for employees to focus on higher-value work.
Portal: Enhancing Retail Media Measurement for CPG Brands and Food Retailers
Brands invest heavily in advertising that directs shoppers to retailer websites but often have limited visibility into what happens after the click. That makes it difficult to understand which campaigns are influencing shopper behavior and sales.
Portal helps CPG brands and media teams measure consented post-click activity and conversion signals, then use that information to improve advertising decisions. The platform works without requiring integration with retailer websites or checkout systems. For brands, that means better insight into media performance. For food retailers, the potential benefit is more relevant traffic from brand-funded campaigns.
RETAiLABS: Connecting Data and Execution for Integrated Grocery Decision-Making
Retailers have plenty of data across merchandising, inventory, store operations and supply chain. Coordinating decisions across those teams is another matter.
RETAiLABS' ARI platform connects data, business rules and workflows across existing systems so teams can move from analysis to execution. A grocery promotion, for example, involves decisions about pricing, vendor funding, inventory and marketing. ARI helps connect those decisions and coordinate follow-through while there is still time to influence results.
The Industry Experts Behind the FMItech Pitch Competition
Seven judges reviewed the applicants, selected the Class of 2027 companies and chose the finalists. The judges brought experience from grocery operations, technology, investment and retail media, grounding the selection process in the realities of our industry.
Thank you to Mark Doiron, Principal at BGJ Group; Tom Furphy, Co-Founder and Managing General Partner at Consumer Equity Partners; Katie Hotze, President of Crave Ventures; Alex Meisl, Founder and Head of Strategy at greyhairworks; Suzy Monford, Founder and CEO of Food Sport International; Leo Nagdas, Head of Ventures and Corporate Development at dunnhumby; and Jeff Williams, Founder of Fair Warning Consulting LLC for lending their expertise to the selection process.
The entire Pitch Class of 2027 also benefited from an industry orientation focused on how food businesses evaluate solutions, navigate buying decisions and approach implementation. We appreciate the guidance shared by Corbin Holsinger, Senior Director of Retail Technology at UNFI; Scott Kessler, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Northeast Grocery; Andrew Krysiak, Vice President of Digital at Good Food Holdings; John Phillips, Senior Vice President of Customer Supply Chain and SMART Packaging at PepsiCo; Art Sebastian, Founder and CEO of NexChapter; and Adam Stave, Founder and CEO of Swish, our 2026 Pitch Competition winner.
See the Finalists Pitch at FMI Midwinter
The finalists will pitch their solutions on the FMItech Hub stage on Jan. 20, 2027, during the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference at the Gaylord Pacific in Chula Vista, Calif. Conference attendees will vote to select the winner, who will then present on the General Session stage. Finalists will also participate in FMItech Exchanges and the invite-only FMItech Supper Club, with opportunities to meet retail, wholesale and CPG leaders.
Learn more about the full FMItech Pitch Class of 2027 and FMItech at Midwinter.
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