A Welsh book-finding app is gaining international recognition for its design and impact.
Spines, developed by a startup based in Pontypool, was awarded an honourable mention in Fast Company’s 2026 Innovation by Design Awards, appearing alongside global names such as Google and Adidas.
The award was given in the "On the Rise: 0–4 Years in Business" category, highlighting early-stage companies making a mark with innovative design.
The app, launched in early 2026 by Noel Lynagh, helps users identify books on charity shop shelves using a single photo. It then recommends titles based on the user's reading preferences, ratings, and prize history.
Mr Lynagh, who is originally from County Offaly in Ireland, but now lives in New Inn, said: "I built Spines because I kept leaving charity shops empty handed and then buying the same books on Amazon a week later.
"The shops had what I wanted, I just couldn't see it.
"Seeing a Welsh company on the same list as Google and Adidas is a good moment for us, and I'm glad the design got noticed.
"Making a cluttered shelf photographed on a phone in bad light feel simple was most of the work."
The app also highlights books that have won or been shortlisted for major literary awards such as the Booker, Pulitzer, and Costa prizes.
Since its launch on iOS and Android, more than 10,000 readers have used Spines to scan over 9,000 shelves.
The company also operates a free online directory of charity shops for book lovers, covering more than 1,700 shops across 76 UK cities.
Its "Nearby" feature allows users to see, anonymously, which shops in their area have recently yielded promising finds.
Spines has also received recognition closer to home.
The company won the Retail & E-Commerce category for Wales at the UK StartUp Awards 2026, was a national finalist at Ideas Fest on September 9, and was a finalist in the Digital Business category at the Wales Business Awards 2026.
The Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards, now in their 15th year, celebrate design solutions addressing current and future challenges.
This year’s honourees include nearly 312 projects.
Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company, said: "The Innovation by Design Awards have always recognized the ideas that challenge convention and show what's possible when design is treated as a strategic force, not an afterthought.
"Congratulations to this year's honorees, who demonstrate how thoughtful design can solve meaningful problems and create new possibilities for people and businesses."
Honorees were selected by a panel of top designers, business executives from leading organizations, and Fast Company editors.
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