Welcoming the world to Berlin: The second round of METRO Accelerator for Retail kicks off with 9 start-ups

The METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars kicks off its second round. Hundreds of start-ups from across the world have applied for one of the nine coveted spots in the METRO Accelerator for Retail programme. On 23 April, 9 selected start-ups coming from Germany, India, Israel, Spain and Great Britain will gather in Berlin and refine their promising tech solutions for the retail sector in a three-month programme. During this time, they will be coached by some 100 mentors, receive a funding of up to 120,000 € each and get support from METRO in infrastructure, network and know-how. The big highlight of the programme: On 19 July, the teams will pitch their solutions to potential investors in Berlin.

"There are many truly good ideas the retail sector can capitalise on. Here, we bridge the gap between the start-ups with their high potential and the retail sector with its experience and its stores", explains Sylvia Dudek, Programme Director of the METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars. "Together, we will accelerate their development to successfully position the business models of the start-up teams in the market. For international teams, in particular, our Accelerator is a good opportunity for networking in the industry and establishing important contacts." The following 9 start-ups from 5 countries across the world have been carefully selected to take part in the second round of METRO Accelerator for Retail powered by Techstars:

• Discover Dollar from Bangalore (India) - with the help of data analyses Discover Dollar helps retailers detect and resolve revenue leakages in real-time. Link: www.discoverdollar.com
• Resonance from London (Great Britain) [formerly Global Resonance] - Resonance works on a secure and connected infrastructure for supply chains. The goal: Ensure smoother communication during the product manufacturing process. Link: www.resonanceapp.com
• LSVR from Tel Aviv (Israel) - LSVR relies on augmented reality and has its eyes firmly set on the personalised shopping experience of customers and on growing the revenues of retailers. Link: www.leapsimulators.com
• NeuroApplied from Hod HaSharon (Israel) - based on neuroscience research combined with algorithms, NeuroApplied analyses subconscious brand perception. Link: www.neuroapplied.com
• Pazo from Bangalore (India) - Pazo is an app that can be used to manage and scale business operations. Link: www.gopazo.com
• ProtoPixel from Barcelona (Spain) - ProtoPixel works on cloud-based, smart lighting systems. Link: www.protopixel.net
• RetailQuant from Munich (Germany) - RetailQuant builds smart sensors to automatically match demographic customer gathered at the retail cash desk with the goods sold. The benefit: A more personalised customer communication. Link: www.retailquant.com
• Shopest from London (Great Britain) - Shopest connects buyers and businesses in real-time. The goal: Connecting the world’s local markets. Link: www.shopestapp.com
• Xeno from New Delhi (India) - the Xeno bot is being used by hundreds of small businesses to easily deploy automated data-driven marketing campaigns. Link: www.xeno.in

Once the 3 months of the programme are completed, the teams have the opportunity to pitch their start-ups at what has become a high stakes Demo Day; where selected mentors, investors and industry experts are invited - this year the Demo Day for Retail will take place on the 19 July. More information about the sequence and details of the programme can be found at www.metroaccelerator.com and on Twitter at @MetroAccel.

Under the umbrella of the METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars, METRO and Techstars, in two programs, help international start-up teams in the development of digital solutions. One of the programs focuses on solutions for the hotel, restaurant and catering sector while the second program is aimed at the retail industry. In the framework of the three-month programs organised in Berlin, experienced mentors and experts will in each case help ten selected start-ups to successfully develop their own business further with regard to customers and investors. The METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars was launched in 2015 with a regularly hosted hospitality program that is unique in the world. More information available at www.metroaccelerator.com.

METRO is a leading international specialist in wholesale and food retail. The company operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2016/17, METRO generated sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. With its sales brands METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as delivery services and digitalisation initiatives METRO sets the standards for tomorrow: for customer focus, digital solutions and sustainable business models.