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Innovators Netstock, Pickle Robot win NextGen Solution Provider awards. Netstock, Pickle Robot will share how their technologies are helping organizations improve planning, automate warehouse operations and deploy AI to solve real-world supply chain challenges. SCMR Staff · July 21, 2026 · Executive takeaways. * Two innovative solution providers will be honored during the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference for delivering measurable customer value. * Award winners span AI-powered planning, warehouse automation and collaborative robotics, highlighting how technology is transforming supply chain execution. * Unlike traditional awards programs, NextGen winners present their real-world strategies and customer outcomes to attendees. * The conference combines executive education, networking and peer-to-peer learning with insights from leading manufacturers, retailers, healthcare organizations and technology providers. Innovation doesn't happen in a laboratory. It happens when new ideas solve real business problems. That philosophy sits at the heart of the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference, where three of the industry's most innovative technology companies will be recognized during the annual NextGen Supply Chain Solution Provider Awards. Presented during Friday morning's general session, the awards recognize solution providers that have demonstrated measurable customer impact through intelligent technologies that improve planning, warehouse execution and operational performance. More importantly, award winners won't simply accept a trophy - they will share with attendees how they developed their technologies, how customers are deploying them and what lessons other organizations can apply inside their own supply chains. This year's winners represent three very different approaches to innovation, yet all focus on helping organizations execute faster, smarter and with greater confidence. All of the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference awards, which include the End User, Solution Provider, Startup, Partnership in Execution, and Visionary, are sponsored by Zion Solutions Group. Intelligent Transformation Award: Netstock. Netstock earned the Intelligent Transformation Award for helping small and midsize businesses modernize inventory planning through AI-driven decision support. Integrated with more than 60 ERP systems, Netstock replaces spreadsheet-driven planning with intelligent recommendations that analyze inventory positions, supplier performance, demand signals and operational risk before stockouts or excess inventory occur. Its Opportunity Engine has generated more than 1.4 million inventory recommendations representing more than $20 billion in potential inventory value across its customer base. Conference attendees will hear directly from Barry Kukkuk, co-founder and chief technology officer, who will discuss how AI can help lean planning organizations make enterprise-quality decisions without requiring enterprise-sized staffs. Autonomous Operations Award: Pickle Robot. Warehouse unloading has long been one of distribution's most labor-intensive and physically demanding jobs. Winner of the Autonomous Operations Award, Pickle Robot developed an autonomous unloading system that can be deployed within minutes, integrates with existing conveyor infrastructure and requires no warehouse management system modifications. The technology has already unloaded more than 25 million pounds of freight while helping organizations including UPS, Yusen Logistics, Ryobi Tools and Randa Apparel improve productivity, increase throughput and reduce workplace injuries. At NextGen, Pete Blair, vice president of product and marketing, will explain how autonomous robotics are moving beyond pilots into full-scale production environments. More than an awards ceremony. Unlike many industry awards programs, the NextGen Supply Chain Awards are designed to educate as much as recognize. Each winning organization shares practical lessons learned, implementation strategies and measurable customer outcomes, giving attendees actionable ideas they can apply inside their own operations. The awards complement a conference program featuring executives from organizations including Wayfair, Eli Lilly, Tractor Supply Company, Apple, Amazon, Stanford Medicine, Target, DP World, Fanatics, Evonik and many other industry leaders. Across keynote presentations, fireside chats, panel discussions and interactive Small Group Sessions, attendees will explore artificial intelligence, automation, digital transformation, workforce development and operational execution through real-world case studies. Sponsorship opportunities continue to fill. The NextGen Supply Chain Conference continues to attract strong industry support from leading technology providers and service organizations committed to advancing supply chain innovation. Current sponsors include: * Diamond Sponsor Zion Solutions Group * Platinum Sponsor Gather AI * Gold Sponsors Cycle Labs, Dematic and Geek+ * Bronzer Sponsor Verity * Associate Sponsor AutoScheduler Organizations interested in participating still have opportunities available, including a limited number of Gold Sponsorships. Gold Sponsors receive a premium speaking opportunity featuring a 30-minute customer case study presented jointly with an end-user customer, allowing attendees to hear firsthand how organizations are solving today's most pressing supply chain challenges through measurable business outcomes. With just 7 Gold sponsorship opportunities remaining, organizations interested in participating are encouraged to reserve their space soon. Join Supply Chain Management Review in Nashville. The 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference will take place October 21-23 at the W Nashville in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Early-bird registration is now open, giving supply chain, logistics, procurement and operations leaders access to three days of executive education, networking and practical learning. Organizations interested in increasing their visibility among senior supply chain decision-makers can also explore sponsorship opportunities. A limited number of Gold Sponsorships remain available, each including a 30-minute customer case study presented jointly with an end-user customer. Faq. Q: what are the NextGen Supply Chain Solution Provider Awards? The NextGen Supply Chain Solution Provider Awards recognize technology companies that have delivered measurable business results for customers through innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, warehouse automation, robotics and supply chain execution. Q: who are the 2026 NextGen Solution Provider Award winners? The 2026 winners are Netstock (Intelligent Transformation) and Pickle Robot (Autonomous Operations), each recognized for technologies that improve supply chain performance through AI, automation and collaborative robotics. Q: what makes the NextGen Supply Chain Conference awards different? Unlike many industry awards that simply recognize innovation, the NextGen Supply Chain Conference gives winners the opportunity to share the strategies, implementation process and measurable business outcomes behind their success through live presentations and executive discussions. Q: what can attendees expect at the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference? Attendees will gain practical insights from supply chain executives, technology providers and award winners through keynote presentations, case studies, panel discussions and networking focused on AI, digital transformation, warehouse operations, logistics and the future of supply chain leadership. Sc mr. The NextGen Supply Chain Conference will showcase award-winning technology companies Netstock and Pickle Robot, giving attendees the opportunity to hear directly from the innovators behind AI-powered planning, autonomous warehouse operations and collaborative robotics. Don't miss out on the best in supply chain. 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Ambi Robotics and Pickle Robot Company have integrated their systems to fully automate inbound logistics operations for Fortune 500 retail and logistics operators. The solution combines Pickle Robot's trailer-unloading systems with Ambi Robotics' AmbiStack multi-purpose stacking technology, creating an autonomous flow from trailers through warehouse receiving. The deployment leverages existing warehouse infrastructure without requiring major facility redesigns. Cases are unloaded from trailers by Pickle Robot's systems, then inducted via conveyor into AmbiStack for identification, scanning and stacking. Both companies emphasise interoperability in warehouse automation. Ambi Robotics, founded in 2018 and based in Berkeley, develops AI-powered robotics for commercial operations. Pickle Robot, headquartered in Charlestown, specialises in automated truck unloading and aims to reach one million dock doors with robotic systems over the next decade.