Givvable wins top prize at River Rival 2025 for supplier innovation
Givvable has been named Best of the Best at River Rival 2025, receiving top honours for its platform automating supplier diligence and responsible procurement.
The company was awarded the prize after a competitive selection by a panel of judges at River Rival, the culminating event of Something Tech., a startup showcase that attracted over 560 participants spanning technology sectors including fintech, agtech, and proptech.
River Rival 2025 marked a platform for eight emerging startups to pitch their ideas to a diverse audience comprising investors, industry leaders, corporates, and founders. The event provided recognition not only for the overall winner but also acknowledged achievements in product innovation and audience appeal.
Givvable's recognition
Frances Atkins, co-founder of Givvable, accepted the award following the company's pitch and demonstration of its supplier diligence platform. The platform has already seen adoption by global organisations such as Microsoft, AWS, Flight Centre, and TikTok.
"I really love being part of the Queensland startup community and this recognition through River Rival will help our brand, and help us accelerate responsible and sustainable procurement, not just here in Australia, but worldwide. The startup community here is so special, and I feel so supported as I know the other participants do too as well," said Frances Atkin.
Givvable's approach focuses on addressing the increasing demand for transparency and responsibility in procurement processes. The platform automates supplier diligence, streamlining how companies respond to regulatory, social, and environmental expectations.
Recognition for other founders
Cool Beans, represented by CEO Saara Jamieson, also received accolades, taking home both the Best in Product and People's Choice awards. Cool Beans is a medical device company aiming to improve male fertility and reproductive health through research-driven innovation.
The event saw live pitches from founders of startups spanning multiple industries. These included Teya Evans of Melt, a social app fostering in-person connections; Dr Giselle Torres of Rise, a healthcare operating system; Alex Ferguson from Request Rocket, a technology solution for authentication translation; Careen Redman-Matthews of Humaneer, an HR-driven AI platform for small and medium enterprises; Alok Patel of Azymmetric, offering an AI-based SaaS for national security applications; and Tianda Williams of uForage, which links food producers and consumers through an app.
The judging panel
The judging panel for River Rival 2025 brought together investors and industry experts. Among them were Steve Allen, Founding Partner of Blue Corridor Ventures; Elli Hanson, Principal at Side Stage Ventures; Shahirah Gardner, Investment Director at Skalata Ventures and Entrepreneur in Residence at ACS Labs; and Dr Prash Puspanathan, entrepreneur and co-founder of Enosis Therapeutics.
Pauline Fetaui, Director of River City Labs, described the event as a display of national innovation talent.
"At River Rival, we see the future of Australian innovation unfolding on stage. These founders are not just pitching, they're showing us the intelligence in Australia that is transforming industries, communities, and the way we live," said Pauline Fetaui, River City Labs director.
She added, "Our role is to shine a light on them and accelerate their path to becoming the next global success stories."
Impact of the festival
The impact of River Rival and the broader Something Tech. festival is evidenced by previous participants who have secured major early-stage investments. Companies such as Heatseeker AI secured AUD $2.3 million in pre-seed funding, The Laundry Lady raised AUD $1 million in seed investment, while Coach Welly secured AUD $4.25 million in pre-seed capital.
The festival also included sessions spotlighting experienced entrepreneurs. Greg Miller, co-founder of Area Mars and previously of Faethm - which was acquired for over USD $100 million in 2021 - and Curtis Thomson, co-founder of simPRO, spoke about their experiences scaling businesses and the supportive ecosystem in Australia.
These sessions highlighted the opportunities available to new founders and the role of the technology community in supporting business scaling and international growth.
