The 15 finalists for the Isle of Man Government’s annual Innovation Challenge 2025 have been announced in the hope that their technological solutions can transform some of the Island’s most pressing challenges. 

The cohort, largely comprising of SME businesses, will now compete to develop solutions across three categories: FinTech, CleanTech, and Data & AI.

This year, the competition attracted high interest with over 100 registrations from businesses around the globe, as far afield as India, South Africa, Brazil and Singapore.

The 2025 Challenge finalists include a diverse mix of businesses, from a FinTech firm helping renters transition to homeownership, to an AI company developing digital assistants for small businesses, and a sustainability-focused platform enhancing inclusivity and safety in nightlife. 

The contest is an opportunity for businesses to trial and develop innovations within the Isle of Man’s ‘testbed’ environment, helped by the nation’s size, crown dependency status, and robust regulatory framework.

As the world’s only whole-nation UNESCO Biosphere, the Isle of Man Government required applying businesses to adapt and consider how their ideas fit in and contribute to this unique status. 

From today, the finalists will collaborate with the Isle of Man Government’s Executive Agencies for Finance, Digital and Business, as well as regulators, industry leaders and local businesses to bring their solutions to life.

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The competition will conclude at a finale event on 26 June, when finalists will have the opportunity to present their solutions to an expert panel of judges, digital technology businesses and wider industry.  

The event will include notable speakers from the industry and key professionals in the financial, business and tech industries, as well as members of the local community.

“The breadth of ideas we’ve seen this year reflects a global desire to create meaningful, sustainable innovation,” said Lyle Wraxall, chief executive of Digital Isle of Man.

“The Challenge is a key moment where we can drive forward our vision of building a dynamic tech ecosystem. We’re proud to support these entrepreneurs as they work to shape the future of the Isle of Man and beyond.”

Categories for this year’s challenge will also be championed by local charities, Love Tech for Digital Isle of Man’s Data & AI category, Beach Buddies for Business Isle of Man’s CleanTech category and Junior Achievement for Finance Isle of Man’s FinTech category. 

The Biosphere Award will also be in association with The UK National Commission for UNESCO.

The winners in each category will receive additional promotion and publicity both locally and internationally, as well as gaining extended access for six months to the Isle of Man’s network of mentors, investors, customers, regulators, and government officers.

The 15 finalists

FinTech finalists:

Binderr (Malta)

Zumo (UK)

Spixii (UK) 

Own Group (Isle of Man)

Staple AI (Singapore)

Data & AI finalists: 

Carbon Happy World (UK) 

RuleWise (Guernsey)

Joggle (UK)

Janus AI (Isle of Man)

Early Ideas IOM (Isle of Man)

CleanTech finalists: 

Earthscope Isle of Man (Isle of Man)

Lnk Technologies (UK)

UniteVerse (Guernsey) 

Big Bower (Isle of Man)

Werk Solutions (UK)

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