Celebrating the Foodstuffs Emerge Finalist

Earlier this year, Trio Teeth was honoured to be named a Finalist in the nationwide New World Emerge competition, a programme designed to uncover and support the next generation of Kiwi grocery suppliers.

The Foodstuffs Emerge programme is designed to uncover and support the next generation of Kiwi grocery suppliers. You can read the full announcement on the Foodstuffs website.

The competition is split into two categories:

• Start-up – for those not yet ranged in any supermarket

• Small Supplier – for those already locally ranged or in a handful of stores

The ultimate prize? The chance to see products ranged on New World shelves across the country, along with tailored support from industry experts to help small businesses scale.

This year’s competition attracted an impressive line-up of innovators from all over Aotearoa. After semi-finals that included business coaching, financial analysis, and pitch submissions, the judges selected ten standout finalists — and we were incredibly proud to see Trio Teeth named among them.

2025 New World Emerge Finalists

Start-up suppliers

• Trio Teeth – Trio-toothbrush, three-sided brushing for little mouths (Auckland)

• ButterLuxe – Oaty butter (Auckland)

• Gut Comfort – Kiwi sorbet (Auckland)

• NODE – Rapid hydration formula (Auckland)

• Dirty Donuts – Apple fritter flavour (Upper Hutt)

Small suppliers

• Planta – Yerba mate carbonated water (New Plymouth)

• Pierogi Joint – Frozen pierogi (Christchurch)

• Mag Bag – Magnetic close storage bags (Auckland)

• HiveEnergy – HiveEnergy gels (Mosgiel)

• Little Ardroy – Frozen beef bites (Christchurch)

Each business was judged on their potential to scale, their business readiness, and their ability to deliver something unique that meets a real customer need.

While Trio Teeth didn’t take out the top prize this year, being recognised as a finalist was an incredible achievement for our small business. We’ve come away with valuable connections, new insights, and a stronger belief than ever in our mission to make brushing easier and more fun for Kiwi families.

To learn more about the competition and see the official announcement, you can read the full Foodstuffs South Island article here.