Intu Accelerate partners with seven start-ups transforming retail
Intu has teamed up with seven new businesses with ideas for British retail through its start-up incubation programme.
Intu Accelerate, run in partnership with innovation specialist L Marks, will develop new technologies and services for the UK retail market that will be piloted at Intu shopping centres and online at intu.co.uk to test the reactions of retailers and shoppers.
Start-ups partnering with Intu for a ten-week period include BotsandUs, GoInStore, Infraspeak, Percent, Soza Health, Toky Woky and WoraPay. They were selected to take part from more than 120 applications.
The ideas include robotic retail assistants and technologies that will improve building management or drive more customers to shops by enabling them to cut out queues.
David Fischel, Intu chief executive said: “We’re working in partnership with some of the smartest minds and best talent out there to answer many of the questions facing the retail and leisure industry today. We’ve invited each start-up to show how we can do things differently at ntu and they have also been given the opportunity to run live trials across our business that will test and demonstrate the potential of their ideas to shape the future of retail.
“Our aim is to create more compelling shopping experiences that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish, and what we’re learning through this programme is helping us to achieve just that.”
Each company is also receiving mentoring from Intu and use of central London office space. In addition, they will be able to pitch for further investment once the ten-week incubation programme finishes in November.
Stuart Marks, L Marks chairman, said “The retail sector is rapidly changing and has become one of the most dynamic and disruptive industries to work in. I know this is a unique opportunity for start-ups to partner with Intu and gain true validation for their product with the market leader.”
