Mondelēz International, a billion-dollar international snacking company, announced today the eight startups that will participate in its Shopper Futures program.
Shopper Futures, which is Mondelēz International’s innovation initiative, brings together retailers and entrepreneurs that can innovate the consumer retail experience. After hundreds of applications and a pitch day with 18 startups, the eight selected startups will now work with retailers in collaboration with Mondelēz International to create in-market pilots in 90 days.
Of the eight participating startups, half are Canadian: Aislelabs, a technology company helping retailers increase sales through big data analytics, will collaborate with Metro and TRISCUIT. Freckle IoT, which uses its network of beacons to enable its partners to gain insight into who was in or within the proximity of a store in order to retarget them with relevant advertising, will collaborate with 7-Eleven and OREO in the US. Sampler, a Software-as-a-service (SaaS) company dedicated to helping consumer packaged goods companies distribute promotional offers, will collaborate with Albertsons and RITZ in the US. Finally, Turnstyle Solutions, which provides customer analytics and location-based marketing solutions for brick-and-mortar stores, will be working with Mac’s convenience stores and Cadbury in Canada, and QuickChek and Swedish Fish in the US. All four startups are based in Toronto.
Kicked off by several days of “Immersions” at each startups’ headquarters, the teams will work together to build programs to pilot within 90 days. The goal of Shopper Futures is to develop scalable shopper learnings and solutions by the end of 2015, while also fostering a spirit of intrapreneurship internally at Mondelēz International.
“The traditional consumer path to purchase has been completely disrupted by technology,” said Kristi Karens, director of media and consumer engagement at Mondelēz International in Canada. “Through Shopper Futures, we’re looking to scale ideas quickly and to turn the store environment into a media opportunity where we can engage with active audiences.”