Local student-run companies ReMind and Little Root will represent Malta at #Gen_E, Europe’s largest entrepreneurship festival, after they took home JA Malta’s top awards at its 35th Annual awards night.

The event took place at the University of Malta and brought together innovative and entrepreneurial minds from 11 schools and educational institutions, showcasing the creativity and hard work of the participants.

Hosted by Keane Cutajar, the evening was filled with excitement as 11 judges undertook the challenging task of selecting winners from a pool of exceptional talent. Competing for the prestigious titles of Company of the Year and StartUp of the Year, the participants demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial spirit.

Company of the Year winners: ReMind

Winners Announced:

JA Malta Company of the Year: ReMind from Verdala International School

JA Malta StartUp of the Year: Little Root from St Martin’s Institute of Higher Education

Both companies will represent Malta at #Gen_E, competing against teams from 42 countries. They have also earned a one-year membership with The Malta Chamber.

StartUp of the Year winners: Little Root

Company of the Year Finalists:

A Spoonful of Gozo – Sir M.A. Refalo Sixth Form

KUUL – Ġ.F. Abela Junior College

MaltiCards – De La Salle College Sixth Form (3rd place)

MyTote – St Aloysius College Sixth Form (2nd place)

ReMind – Verdala International School

Rocky Socks – Verdala International School

Company Programme Signature Awards:

ReMind: Deloitte Best Business Plan Award, Farsons Ready for Work Award, EFQ Management Consultants Quality Excellence Award, Atlas Insurance Digital Marketing Innovation Award, Mizzi Organisation Best Sales Technique Award

Yplan (Verdala International School): eSkills Malta Foundation Best Use of Tech Award

MyTote: FinanceMalta Best Financial Statements Award, HSBC Malta Foundation Green Entrepreneurship Award

Rocky Socks (Verdala International School): Hili Ventures Marketplace Award

KUUL: Bolt Internationalisation Award

StartUp Programme Awards

Little Root: HSBC Malta Foundation ESG Sustainability Award (€10,000 grant), EY Market Appraisal Award, Camilleri Preziosi Advocates Customer Focus Award, Bolt Disruptive Excellence Award

GOATSBY (University of Malta): Tech.mt Digital Innovation Award

Crème de la crème (Institute of Tourism Studies): 3rd place Overall

GOATSBY: 2nd place Overall

Entrepreneurial Spirit Award:

Supported by the Malta Business Registry, this award recognizes students who exhibited exceptional entrepreneurial spirit:

Josef Mario Xiberras, Ena Marie Mifsud, Miguel Aquilina, David Grech, Daniel Foeldi, Alina Maria Weibel

Chairperson’s Awards:

 John Harper Award: Malta Enterprise

Philip Bonnet Award for Perseverance: Ana Bajada

JA Malta CEO Matthew Caruana stated, "Every student should experience at least one of JA Malta's experiential learning programmes. These programmes provide invaluable real-world skills and inspire the entrepreneurial spirit necessary for success in today's dynamic economy."

JA Malta thanked all partners and sponsors, including Jobsplus, HSBC Malta Foundation, Deloitte Malta, EY Malta, Camilleri Preziosi Advocates, Atlas Insurance, The Malta Chamber, Sales Force, Microsoft, Mizzi Organisation, ESkills Malta Foundation, Bolt, FinanceMalta, Farsons Group, Hili Ventures, EFQ Management Consultants, Tech.Mt, Malta Enterprise, Malta Business Registry, Virtu Ferries, BUSINESSLABS, S.Rausi Trading Ltd, and The AV Warehouse for their unwavering support.