Belgian startup Manual.to wins 2025 Elia Group Open Innovation Challenge

Brussels | The 8^th edition of the Open Innovation Challenge crowned Manual.to, the winner among 238 startups who entered the competition following a global call in June this year. The theme People First drew attention to the need for innovation in the areas of knowledge management, cultural change, security awareness and behaviour, and safety and wellbeing.

Easy to use, employee-generated instructions

Manual.to impressed the jury with its innovative platform for creating and sharing digital work instructions. With their software, employees can easily record short videos of tasks, and the platform automatically adds text, translations, and formatting. It works well in all widely spoken European languages and makes knowledge easy to capture from those who know topics best. Their solution aims to improve operational efficiency by making sure critical information is available to all those who need it.

They will receive up to €50,000 to develop a proof of concept, supported by experts from across Elia Group.

“Knowledge should flow like electricity. This award helps us work better with large European companies with strict security and compliance needs. It brings us closer to our goal: supporting filed workers at scale in a sector that matters—energy.”
– Jorim Rademaker, CEO and Co-founder, Manual.to

About Manual.to

Founded in Belgium in 2016, Manual.to is a fast-growing startup with a small team of people located in Belgium, UK, and US. They work with major corporations across a diversity of industries, including automotive, pharmaceutical, and technology. Their platform helps close critical gaps in training and safety, especially for field workers.

A global call for innovation

The Open Innovation Challenge attracted proposals from 41 countries, each bringing novel ideas to improve the future of work in the energy sector. The innovative solutions all underscored that delivering a sustainable and reliable electricity supply depends on the thousands of people who keep the grip going around the clock.

Innovation is at the heart of Elia Group’s future, and the Open Innovation Challenge is our flagship initiative for connecting with external innovators. What begins as a competition ultimately turns into a launchpad for partnerships. It brings fresh thinking to the company and co-creates solutions that help us meet the challenges of the energy transition.
– Eva Schramm, Head of Innovation at Elia Group

To all the startups, SMEs, and innovators who joined us over the course of the whole Open Innovation Challenge journey, you reminded us that innovation is not just about the latest scientific or technological breakthrough, but rather about how human creativity and passion turns bold ideas into real-world impact.
– Bernard Gustin, CEO Elia Group

Expert Jury

The final selection was made by a distinguished panel of judges Bernard Gustin (CEO Elia Group), Evan Schramm (Head of Innovation, Elia Group), Céline Van Haute (Chief Human Resources Officer, Elia Group), Lisa Besler (Head of Human Resources, 50Hertz), Claire Tomasina (Chief Human Resource Officer, Elia Transmission Belgium), Anton Arts (Managing Partner, SET Ventures), Silvia Bruno (Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Redia).