HiveKeepers wins Good Design Award for Concept Design

Beekeeping products startup HiveKeepers has won a Good Design Award in the Concept Design category for its Micro Honey Harvester, following its top prize for innovation at the recent World Beekeeping Awards.

According to a statement from the company – ahead of the Australian Good Design Awards gala event at Sydney on Friday night – the harvester was recognised by judges as “eliminat[ing] mess, complexity and bulky gear,” as well as “transforming honey extraction into a clean, intuitive experience”.

The Micro Honey Harvester was developed in collaboration with Melbourne’s Katapult Design, to “[rethink] how honey can be harvested”, and remove the “mess, complexity and physical strain” involved.

“We wanted to take the pain out of harvesting and create a product that makes beekeeping more accessible, sustainable and enjoyable for everyone – from backyard hobbyists wanting to enjoy some fresh honey to professional producers wanting to create premium experiences for consumers,” said founder and CEO Simon Mildren. 

“This award reinforces that good design can drive real environmental impact.” 

The Good Design Awards will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney.

The award follows a Gold for Innovation for the Micro Honey Harvester at the recent Apimondia World Beekeeping Awards at Copenhagen last month. HiveKeepers described its prize as “the highest international honour for excellence and advancement in the field”.

Mildren’s company launched a Kickstarter campaign in March, quickly hitting its $25,000 goal and eventually receiving pledges more than four times that. Their page can be seen here.

Picture: supplied

Further reading

Australian hive harvesting innovator wins gold at World Beekeeping Awards

Honey harvesting startup to go global at upcoming Copenhagen congress

A decade following Flow Hive, another Australian company rethinks beekeeping