Intu Accelerate 2018 hunts for next big thing in retail
by Startacus Admin
Following a successful inaugural year which saw robots in centres, chat bots online and queue-jumping apps, intu Accelerate 2018 is once open for applications from startups looking to create the perfect shopping experience.
Owner of some of the UK’s largest and most popular shopping centres, such as intu Trafford Centre, intu Lakeside and intu Metrocentre, the 8-week programme will aim to develop young businesses with 
fresh ideas that will help shape the future of the retail and leisure market.
Run in partnership with innovation specialists L Marks, who work with some of the UK’s best known brands, including BMW Group, Arsenal FC, and Wincanton the intu 8-week accelerator programme will fully immerse successful applicants in intu’s business by providing mentorship from senior leadership, as well as experts from across the business and tech worlds.
Those selected will also have the opportunity to pilot and test their products whilst enjoying access to central London office space and potential investment.
David Fischel, intu chief executive, said “Retail is one of the most dynamic industries in the UK, and we are continually looking to work hand-in-hand with some of the best talent out there, bursting with creative ideas, to find new approaches to improve our offer to customers and retailers. I’m very excited to see what this year’s applicants will bring to the table. We’re also hoping to identify start-ups for potential investment which in turn will help us deliver a healthy return.”
intu Accelerate’s 2017 class included BotsAndUs with their robot assistants, GoInStore who create live in-store video experiences for online customers and Soza Health who provide customers health assessments and tailored recommendations to optimise their health.
intu Accelerate 2018 has five categories for startups to apply to:
Capturing physical audiences digitally: How can intu enhance and personalise the shopping experience and better understand their customers’ needs by using data?
Events with a difference: intu want to work with tech startups that can help bring their communities closer together. They want to go above and beyond to surprise and delight their guests - this could be hosting educational events in their centres or opening up empty space for a monthly comedy night.
Virtual shopping assistant: intu are looking to create the most seamless shopping experience for their customers through a virtual shopping assistant. They are looking for technologies that can 
understand their customers’ preferences in order to lead them on a refined, personalised journey through their online channels and in their centres.
Categorising product data: intu are looking for solutions to help them categorise the millions of products on their online virtual shopping centre, intu.co.uk. to improve the customer experience and drive even higher sales for their retailers. They want to hear from teams using visualisation, image recognition and other technologies.
Wildcard: intu like looking for the new, creating something different and looking at things differently, so they had to include an open category for those who like to think out of the box..png "intu accelerator 2018")
Timescales to apply to intu Accelerate 2018
Applications close on the 4th April 2018, with shortlisted startups invited to a Pitch day on 1st May, where the startups will pitch to intu senior leadership to win a place on the programme. The 8-week intensive programme will kick off on the 14th May with demo day then taking place at the end of the programme on the 17th July 2018.
Applications are now open until 4th April, so to apply and for more information and to read over the FAQ’s, head to intuaccelerate.co.uk.
Best of luck to all that apply!
Content written in partnership with L Marks.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Wilton London exceeds crowdfunding target to support its aim of becoming the UK’s number one eco household cleaning brand
TestGorilla is a startup that's on a mission to help you identify the best candidates and make your hiring decisions faster, easier, and bias-free
Major investment for her1, the digital health impact company that's dedicated entirely to female wellbeing...
Major boost for the NI economy as nanotechnology consortium, Smart Nano NI awarded £42.4m by the Strength in Places Fund to support development of new technology for medical devices, communication and data storage.
As the pandemic may still have an impact on your business in the long term - here are a few things to consider...
Need an organised process to manage the inventory in your startup? Here are a few of the key things to consider...
Ntropy secures major investment to help with expansion of its team, support market growth and future product development.
.jpeg)
Want to make your mark on your industry and elevate your business exposure? These tips will help you do just that...
.jpg)
SKOOT, the only carbon negative green navigation app for drivers launches crowdfunding campaign to help drive its growth and offset vehicle carbon as lockdown eases
.jpeg)
Need to make changes in your business? Karen Dunne-Squire, founder of Elation Experts shares tips and advice on how best to do just that
Published on: 13th March 2018
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Smart Nano NI awarded £42.4m funding from UKRI 22nd Jul 2021 Major boost for the NI economy as nanotechnology consortium, Smart Nano NI awarded £42.4m by the Strength in Places Fund to support development of new technology for medical devices, communication and data storage.
- Ntropy Raises $3.2M for its innovative data platform 20th Jul 2021 Ntropy secures major investment to help with expansion of its team, support market growth and future product development.
- SKOOT plans to accelerate growth with new crowdfunding campaign 20th Jul 2021 SKOOT, the only carbon negative green navigation app for drivers launches crowdfunding campaign to help drive its growth and offset vehicle carbon as lockdown eases
- Collective Benefits raises £6m to help expand the safety net for independent workers 14th Jul 2021 Innovative insurtech Collective Benefits raises investment to support expansion plans and development of new products and services for independent workers
