It’s already December! Where did 2023 go? And what a tough and eventful year it has been – not one but two wars, several climate-related disasters with record high temperatures recorded over the summer, global inflation affecting the cost of living significantly and developments in AI dominating the news and fueling speculations and fear of misuse and abuse – just to name a few of what is distinguishing this outgoing year.
Are you among those wanting this “bleak” year to end faster and also dreading the holidays? And are wondering how you, your family and friends can still enjoy the holidays in spite of the gloomy global atmosphere?
For our Christmas gift guide this year, we put together a list from European startups made up of items, activities, and experiences to help you and yours survive, feel good celebrating the holidays, and look forward to the coming year.
Smart gadgets & wearables
Gadgets & wearables remain all-time favourite gifts during year-end holidays. Whether for yourself (a little retail therapy can’t hurt in these trying times!) or for your loved ones, here are some from European start-ups serving smart gadgets and wearables:
If you and yours are looking at some adventure this holiday season like hiking, skiing, or camping trips, then Finland’s Tespack might have the wearables for you. Tespack is a smart microgrid technology company that offers, among many things, solar backpacks and power banks designed to power smartphones to laptops and any mobile device needed remotely.
Another gift that the entire family can benefit from is the Berlin-based Mitte smart water system. Mitte’s water system both purifies and mineralizes water through filtration to remove microplastics, heavy metals, chemicals, and bacteria. Water is then run through multiple layers of mineral rock with each and every Mitte cartridge containing different minerals.
Sleep is increasingly becoming a luxury. If you aim to catch up on shut-eye or start the new year with better sleep habits, consider the Oura Ring. This smart ring, with its connected app, tracks sleep, activity, recovery, and stress. It also features an illness-detection capability, monitoring your temperature and heart rate to alert you of potential sickness.
Noise is one excess that people living in highly urbanized places experience on a daily basis. And this tends to exacerbate during the holiday season. With a tagline that says, “Loop allows you to live life at your own volume”, Loop earplugs are another wearable that should make your gifting list this season. Antwerp-based Loop earplugs are consistently rated great for their comfort, efficiency, and style.
WoodWatch originated from travels to remote regions, inspired by local artisans’ use of wood in design. It embodies a lifestyle, with each sale contributing to planting a tree, reflecting a commitment to environmental restoration. The brand’s ethos, “Explore to Create,” is inspired by the beauty of the world’s untouched areas, influencing each new watch design.
“Good” fashion & accessories
The holiday season is always a great excuse to wear something nice, festive, or sparkly. Clothes and accessories signal celebration and can also elevate the mood. But do you also feel burdened by the fact that you almost always use them once and relegate them to the back of the closet afterwards? How about we help you with your holiday clothing and accessories with these sustainable, eco-friendly, and reusable “good” choices!
Thrift+ is a pre-loved fashion marketplace based in South Bank, England with a mission of making secondhand seamless. Thrift+ offers over 500,000 clothes and accessories from top high street and designer brands, with in-house quality check, packaging, and shipping. It has money-back guarantees and a 30-day return policy.
Check out Stockholm-based Asket, an independent apparel brand whose goal is to go against fast fashion, with built-to-last pieces that do not go out of fashion. The company boasts of an honest, transparent production with every cent, every ounce of CO2 and every process accounted for. Combined with its sizing method, Asket endeavours for buyers to buy less, return less and keep clothes longer.
Think of Tinder but for circular fashion. Popswap is an app for the fashion-forward and social media savvies, where users post outfits and looks, to get matched with others based on style, leading to swapping, borrowing, or renting of items. Founded in 2020 and based in Stockholm, their goal is to help build sustainable wardrobes through fun exchanges of clothes, bags, and shoes.
Jewellery is another staple that makes it to the gift list for the holidays. Douze Paris prides itself on its sustainable and responsible modern jewellery line that is made from recycled 18-karat gold and ethically sourced gemstones. Founded in 2017 and based in Paris, all of its jewellery is made in France and can be shipped throughout Europe.
“Good” food
Food is a staple in any holiday season and the ultimate comfort, especially when times are hard. By good food, we mean those that taste great and at the same time sourced and made from alternative ingredients that are easy on the planet. Here are some “good” foods made by European start-ups to enjoy during the holiday season:
Chocolate but without the burden and issues – sustainability, deforestation, child labour, slavery, need we say more? – associated with the cacao industry. London-based WNWN Food Labs make cocoa-free chocolates. They do this using a proprietary fermentation technology that converts plant-based, sustainable cocoa-free ingredients into chocolate that tastes and looks great.
Heralded as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world, the Mediterranean way of eating has been keeping people healthy in Mediterranean countries for the longest time. Barcelona-based Heura Foods makes 100% plant-based products of Mediterranean cuisine and heritage. Their products include hams, chorizo sausages, chicken nuggets and burgers and are widely available throughout Europe.
Bettafish is a Berlin-based seaweed company that makes authentic plant-based seafood products. Their first product family is plant-based tuna under the name “TU-NAH” which was launched in October 2021. This product portfolio includes canned TU-NAH, sandwiches as well as raw TU-NAH for en masse B2B food service. They are planning to launch more seaweed-based seafood alternatives in the future.
Julienne Bruno’s plant-based burrata and stracciatella are said to be almost indistinguishable from real cheese and would make a great dairy-free alternative to traditional cheeses for the holiday season. Based in the UK, their burrata alternative named burella won the Gold distinction at the 2023 Great British Food Awards.
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