OneHazel has taken The NEXT Pitch title, securing a EUR 25,000 event package and a platform to showcase its AI-powered supplier integration platform at the NEXT Summit Valletta 2027. The startup’s solution addresses one of iGaming’s most persistent operational headaches: the months of delays and engineering bottlenecks that come with integrating new suppliers.

Solving the Integration Problem

The core proposition is straightforward. Operators spend considerable time and resources getting new suppliers connected to their systems. OneHazel’s platform uses AI agents to handle the entire integration lifecycle automatically, compressing what typically takes months into minutes. No engineering team needed on the operator’s side. No maintenance burden. Just faster access to revenue opportunities.

It’s the kind of operational efficiency that resonates in a sector where downtime directly impacts the bottom line. When a new supplier can’t go live because integration work is still queued up, operators lose money. OneHazel eliminates that friction.

Why the Judges Were Convinced

The NEXT Pitch panel assessed OneHazel alongside other candidates, evaluating the founding team, business fundamentals, and capital prospects. Keith Zammit, OneHazel’s founder and CEO, credits the win to judges understanding the real pain point his company addresses.

“Integrations are the quiet tax players in iGaming pay in both time and money,” Zammit said. “We turn that wait from months to minutes, and everyone in the room understood why that’s a game-changer.”

That observation cuts to the heart of why the solution gained traction. The jury wasn’t voting on abstract innovation; they were evaluating a product that directly solves a problem every operator in the room experiences.

What the Prize Delivers

The EUR 25,000 package provides three full event passes, exhibition stand space, and advertising banners across NEXT.io. For an early-stage company, that’s meaningful visibility within an audience of operators, investors, and founders. It’s the kind of platform that can accelerate partnerships and business development conversations.

OneHazel now has a direct route to demonstrate its platform to potential customers at scale, which could prove more valuable than the event package itself.