Southampton hospitality tech company named finalist for three South Coast Tech and Innovation Awards

A Southampton-based hospitality technology company is celebrating a trio of shortlistings at the 2026 South Coast Tech and Innovation Awards, earning recognition for its innovation, growth and contribution to the region's tech sector.

Founded in 2021, Labl.it develops digital food labelling software for commercial kitchens, replacing traditional handwritten labelling processes with technology designed to make food safety compliance simpler, quicker and more consistent.

Labl.it has been named a finalist for Innovative Tech of the Year, Tech SME of the Year and South Coast Tech Company of the Year, with the winners for all three categories set to be announced at the awards ceremony in October.

The recognition follows a period of significant growth for the business, which has increased its customer base by 55 per cent and its workforce by 50 per cent over the past 12 months. Its technology now supports more than 3,500 commercial kitchens across the UK.

Founded by Kyle Wilks, Rhys Wilks and Sean Larsen, the Southampton company has also recently moved to a larger headquarters at Southampton Science Park, providing additional space for its expanding team and future growth.

Kyle Wilks, Co-Founder and CEO of Labl.it, said, "Being a finalist in three different categories makes this a really exciting moment for us. Each one reflects an important part of what we've been working towards, from developing technology that solves genuine challenges in commercial kitchens to building and growing the business here on the South Coast.

"We've come a long way since launching Labl.it in 2021, but there is still a huge amount we want to achieve. Having that progress recognised alongside other innovative businesses from across the region is something the whole team can be proud of."

The South Coast Tech and Innovation Awards recognise achievements across the region's technology sector, bringing together businesses and individuals helping to drive innovation and growth on the South Coast.

Labl.it will find out whether it has won in each of its three categories when the awards take place in October at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Southampton.

To learn more about Labl.it and its digital food labelling technology, visit https://labl.it