Optifeed, Routal and Tinkery take the top three spots in the VTEX Retail Tech Award 2026, an initiative led by VTEX and Bcombinator to connect European innovation with leading brands and retailers.

Technology is changing the way brands sell, run their operations and engage with their customers. But for innovation to truly make it to market, having great technology isn’t enough. It also needs access to customers, partners and strong ecosystems where its value can be put to the test.

That is precisely what the VTEX Retail Tech Award 2026 is all about: an initiative by VTEX, in collaboration with Bcombinator, to discover European startups developing solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the retail industry today.

After months of development, integration work and product demonstrations, Optifeed, Routal and Tinkery emerged as the three winning startups.

Three Startups, Three Ways to Transform Retail

The three winners represent different areas where technology is transforming the retail industry.

Optifeed: AI-Powered Marketing

Optifeed took first place with an AI-native commerce marketing solution.

Its solution helps businesses harness AI to improve their marketing processes and optimize how they connect their products with consumers.

Routal: Technology for More Efficient Last-Mile Delivery

Routal took second place with its technology for last-mile logistics management.

As delivery becomes an increasingly important part of the customer experience, optimizing routes and logistics operations is becoming more relevant than ever for retailers and brands.

Tinkery: AI-Powered Commercial Intelligence

Tinkery took third place with its AI-powered commercial intelligence platform.

Its technology turns commercial data into actionable insights, helping teams make better decisions and identify new opportunities.

From Competition to Real-World Integrations

One of the most interesting aspects of the VTEX Retail Tech Award is that the program doesn’t end with the selection of the winners.

Participating startups had to demonstrate not only the potential of their solutions, but also how they could integrate with VTEX and create value for its customers.

This connection between startups and established technology companies is precisely what can help accelerate the path from innovation to market.

That’s why VTEX is exploring different integration opportunities with the finalists, as well as ways for them to offer their services to VTEX customers.

For a startup, gaining access to a business ecosystem of this scale can make a real difference. It provides an opportunity to validate its technology in a real-world environment, better understand the needs of large companies and unlock new commercial opportunities.

Seven Startups Made It to the Final

The call attracted around 100 startups developing technology for the retail industry.

After several rounds of evaluation, seven startups made it to the final:

• Optifeed
• Routal
• Tinkery
• Datafine
• ByNeural
• Shoptimus
• Lovi.ai

All seven startups worked on functional integrations and had the opportunity to demonstrate how their solutions could address specific needs of brands and retailers working with VTEX.

Reaching this stage is already a recognition of the technological potential and execution capabilities of the participating startups.

Bcombinator’s Role: Connecting Startups with Leading Corporations

For Bcombinator, this project represents one of the most valuable ways to work with the corporate ecosystem.

Our role is not only to help startups grow, but also to build connections that can turn into real opportunities for business, investment and collaboration.

Through our network of startups, investors, corporations and technology partners, we work to bring both sides of the ecosystem closer together: startups looking for market access and companies seeking new technologies to solve specific challenges.

The VTEX Retail Tech Award is a great example of how this connection can work in practice.

A startup gets the opportunity to showcase its technology to a global commerce leader, develop an integration and demonstrate how it works in a real-world business environment. At the same time, VTEX can discover new solutions that complement its ecosystem and deliver value to its customers.

A Celebration in Barcelona

The final event of this edition took place on September 30 at VTEX’s offices in Barcelona, bringing together the finalist startup teams, Bcombinator and VTEX’s leadership team.

Beyond celebrating the winners, the event highlighted the work carried out over the past few months and, above all, the connections built between startups, technology and leading companies.

Barcelona is once again positioning itself as a meeting point for startups, technological innovation and leading international companies.

The Future of Retail Is Built by Connecting Technology and the Market

The next generation of retail technology won’t be built by large companies or startups alone.

Innovation happens when both sides work together.

Programs like the VTEX Retail Tech Award create exactly that space: startups with innovative technology, corporations with real-world needs, and an ecosystem that brings both sides together.

At Bcombinator, we’ll continue creating more opportunities like this, helping European tech startups validate their solutions, enter new markets and scale alongside leading international companies.

The Winners of the 2026 VTEX Retail Tech Award

1º — Optifeed AI-native commerce marketing
2º — Routal Last-mile logistics management
3º — Tinkery AI-powered commercial intelligence
Finalistas: Datafine, ByNeural, Shoptimus y Lovi.ai.

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About Bcombinator

Bcombinator is a Barcelona-based innovation hub and venture capital fund supporting early-stage tech startups through acceleration, investment and access to a network of founders, investors and corporations.

With more than 120 startups accelerated and over 80 investments, Bcombinator connects tech startups with key players across the ecosystem to help them validate, grow and scale.