The IPA Innovation in Publishing Award seeks to strengthen and unite the publishing industry to move forward together and seize new opportunities for publishing practices and environments, adapting to new circumstances and challenges. Specifically, the award recognizes groups or individuals whose work implements innovative publishing practices that can be replicated by others and benefit the industry.
The IPA Innovation in Publishing Award, alongside the IPA Champion Award, will be awarded at the 35th International Publishers Congress, taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-9 July 2026.
The 2026 IPA Innovation in Publishing Award shortlist nominees are:
- Abbecedario Inclusivo
- Ailaysa Technologies
- APA: Australia Reads
- Shimmr
- Supadu Smart Buy Buttons
On the announcement of the shortlist, IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava said: “There were many great nominations for this 3rd IPA Innovation in Publishing Prize. Innovation is happening at so many different levels in publishing and it is great to be able to celebrate some of them through this short list”.
Read more on the work of each of the shortlisted nominees below:
Abbecedario Inclusivo
Abbecedario Inclusivo is an innovative, fully accessible alphabet-learning system designed to transform early literacy into a multisensory, inclusive, and engaging experience for every pupil. Rooted in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), it offers a flexible, repeatable model that recognises different learning approaches as a natural and valuable aspect of human diversity.
Ailaysa Technologies
Ailaysa is a multilingual AI company with dedicated solutions for publishers, and the creator of Chai Reader, an innovative reading and book-discovery platform.
APA: Australia Reads
Australia Reads is on a mission to get more people reading more books, more often. Established by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) and with partners including Australian Libraries & Information Association, Society of Authors, Copyright Agency and BookPeople booksellers association. Australia Reads uses world-first research to interrogate the barriers to reading, and provide solutions to address them.
Shimmr
Shimmr created the world’s first Advertising as a Service (AaaS) platform: an autonomous, subscription-based AI system that makes continuous book marketing economically viable for entire catalogues.
Supadu Smart Buy Buttons
For over 15 years, Supadu has helped publishers build smarter websites and eCommerce experiences. Along the way, they uncovered a persistent problem: readers find books they love, but don’t complete the purchase. Supadu Smart Buy Buttons were created to fix that. Designed with publishers and industry experts, they simplify the buying journey, reduce friction, and turn browsing into buying.