METRO awarded as a pioneer in promoting startups

• The award "Europe's Corporate Startup Stars" 2017 was conferred to METRO AG's innovative project METROpolitan
• The prize recognises companies that successfully support promising startups
• In the framework of the METROpolitan programme, 500 restaurants in five European metropolises test digital solutions developed by startups

METRO AG received the award "Europe's Corporate Startup Stars 2017" for its commitment to promoting startups. For the second time, the startup consultants from "Mind the Bridge", an innovation advisory services company, together with the innovation foundation Nesta present this award under the European Commission’s initiative "Start-up Europe Partnership". In the category “Open Innovation: Innovative Approaches”, it honours the project METROpolitan for its innovative concept.

In the framework of the pilot project METROpolitan, 500 restaurants in Berlin, Milan, Paris, Barcelona and Vienna test digital solutions developed by startups regarding their suitability for everyday use. Based on the results the startups then optimise their products further. If the digital tools successfully pass the METROpolitan program they can become part of a further rollout and can be provided to a larger number of METRO’s customer. The wholesale and food specialist last week launched his activities regarding the international digitalisation of the hospitality sector. The vast majority of the gastronomes’ basically do not use any digital solutions. In addition to the free digital tools METRO also offers advice and support for all questions relating to the tools and facilitates dialogue, knowledge sharing and community building for independent restaurant businesses via a platform.

What makes the award "Europe’s Corporate Startup Stars" so special is that the entrants cannot apply for participation. Instead, they are nominated by startups or selected by the award organisers.

"The METROpolitan programme is an effective tool that enables us to evaluate digital solutions from the customer's perspective", says Tim Kruppe, Director Digital Projects of HORECA.digital, the digital unit of METRO. "The pilots proof that digital solutions improve the operational business of the gastronomes significantly. For example, we noticed an increase of around 10 percent in sales and that customers can save from one to three hours per day. But not every solution is valued equally well by the gastronomes. We share the feedback and insights with the innovators. This enables them to better understand the needs of the hospitality sector." 52 percent of European corporations support startups in the form of Accelerator programs – this is one of the results of the new research paper ("Open Innovation in Europe: a Snapshot of 2017 SEP Europe's Corporate Start-up Stars") presented in the framework of the award ceremony.

METRO is a leading international specialist company 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 approximately €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 and as well as delivery services and digitisation initiatives, METRO sets the standards for tomorrow: for customer focus, digital solutions and sustainable business models.

About Start-up Europe Partnership (SEP)
Established by the European Commission in January 2014 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, SEP is the first pan-European open innovation platform dedicated to transforming European Startups into scale-ups by linking them with global corporations and stock exchanges. SEP is led by Mind the Bridge, a global organization based in Europe and Silicon Valley, in partnership with innovation foundation Nesta, the European Investment Fund/ European Investment Bank Group, London Stock Exchange Group, EBAN, the European Start-up Network, and The ScaleUp Institute. By participating in the SEP program, global companies have access to the best technologies and companies with the goal of initiating business partnerships and venture corporate investments. Scale-ups are exposed to qualified sales/strategic opportunities as well as funding options either via venture capital, private placements, or IPOs.
For more info: http://Startupeuropepartnership.eu | @sep_eu

About Mind the Bridge
Mind the Bridge is a global organization that provides innovation advisory services for corporates and Startups. With HQs in San Francisco (CA) and offices in London, Italy and Spain, Mind the Bridge has been working as an international bridge at the intersection between Startups and corporates since 2007. Mind the Bridge scouts, filters and works with 1,500+ Startups a year supporting global corporations in their innovation quest by driving open innovation initiatives that translate into curated deals with Startups (namely POCs, licensing, investments, and/or acquisitions). Mind the Bridge publishes curated reports on the status of the scale-up ecosystems in different geographies, as well as M&A and innovation market trends in various verticals. Mind the Bridge has strong partnerships with entities such as the London Stock Exchange and the European Commission, for whom it runs the Start-up Europe Partnership (SEP) open innovation platform. www.mindthebridge.com | @mindthebridge

About Nesta
Nesta is a global innovation foundation. It backs new ideas to tackle the big challenges of our time and improve how the world works for everyone. Nesta uses its knowledge, networks, funding and skills to take on these big challenges - working in partnership with others, including governments, businesses and charities. Nesta is a UK charity that works all over the world, supported by a financial endowment.
To find out more visit www.nesta.org.uk | @nesta_uk