The 2025 Visual 1st 
Award winners: 
Visual 1st Best of Show award: 
Pika
“We chose Pika as Best in Show because it embodies what innovation in visual storytelling should be: intuitive, expressive, and human.
We found ourselves using the app to transform our own photos into engaging short videos, effortlessly bringing emotion and personality to life.
In a crowded field of visual tools, Pika stood out for its ability to make creativity feel personal and fun, seamlessly bridging imagination and technology.”
Cathi Nelson, CEO at The Photo Managers
Visual 1st Best Business Potential award:
Design Huddle
“Design Huddle was chosen as the company with the best business prospect. Visual content creation using GenAI is nearing the inflection point of the Turing Test.
However, with so many free tools offered, monetization will be challenging. We were impressed not with the breadth but rather the practicality of Design Huddle’s solution, as an indication to revenue generating frame of mind.”
Eran Steinberg, Co-Founder & Chairman at FotoNation
Visual 1st Best Technology award: 
Glass Imaging
“Glass Imaging’s neural ISP technology has the potential to empower hundreds of millions of consumers and imaging professionals to take better still images and video and will also enable smartphone vendors to improve the image quality of their camera systems while potentially reducing costs.
It’s great to see that technology now also being applied to live video.”
Rudy Burger, Founder & Managing Partner at Woodside Capital
Visual 1st Special Recognition Award:
Revibes
“Revibes captured what innovation in visual tech should feel like. Simple, human, and seamlessly bridging the digital and physical worlds.
Their creative use of an NFC enabled Polaroid turns a familiar object into something interactive and alive, reimagining how we connect with our memories in a beautifully modern way.”
Anna Dickson, VP Content Strategy & Operations at Shutterstock
Bottom 3 photos: Mikkel Aaland; top photo: Hans Hartman

 
                       
             
             
             
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                