Nexus by DIA - Startups Shaping the Future of Supermarket Shopping Wanted

by Startacus Admin

International food retailer DIA (Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación) has launched a new innovation programme, Nexus by DIA, for startups that are developing ideas and innovative solutions in the food retail sector. Hungry to find out more, Startacus took a look over all the details...
International food retailer DIA is opening it’s doors to work with startups on a number of challenges across their business, from new innovative solutions, that will in turn help their customers, to innovative solutions and technologies that can help DIA to change the way they do business and work.
Nexus by DIA is a partnership programme between DIA, and corporate innovation specialist and early stage investors L Marks, who run accelerator programmes with corporates including BUPA, intu, Travis Perkins, and Wincanton, to name just a few.
DIA is a Spanish multinational company specialising in the distribution of food, household & personal care products, with 7,799 stores across Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and China, of which 51% operate through a franchise business model. In 2016, DIA Group had a turnover of over 10 billion, serving 40 million customers worldwide and employing over 40,000 staff.
During the Nexus by DIA ten week programme, selected startups will have the chance to work with DIA at their head offices in Madrid - in order to test their solutions in a live store environment, gain free desk space for the duration of the programme, receive close mentorship support from DIA’s senior stakeholders as well as those from the wider retail sector, as well as the opportunity to gain investment from L Marks and / or DIA.
Head straight to www.nexusbydia.com to take a read over all the info, FAQs and to make that all important application, and read on if you want more details first.

So what are the folk at DIA and L Marks looking for?
Ricardo Curras, CEO of DIA, said:
“We are thrilled to be launching Nexus by DIA. We are looking for smart people with great ideas and we want startups to come and work with us to shape the future of supermarket shopping.
We want to find new solutions that can help us make our customers lives easier, surprise and delight them and help change the way we do business at the same time.”
With this ambition in mind, DIA have identified some key business challenges that they are open to working with startups on:
- Personalisation - What tools could create a more personalised experience for their customers?
- Optimizing the chain - How can DIA increase efficiencies in our supply chain and stock management processes?
- Listening & Implementing Customer Feedback - They are looking to be quicker at implementing feedback from their customers.
- The future of shopping - What technologies out there are creating the store of the future.
- Wildcard – It aims to discover related innovations but not covered by the above categories.
Key dates for the programme.

- August 27, 2017 - Closing date for Nexus by DIA applications.
- September 28, 2017 - A shortlist of up to 25 startups will be invited to a Pitch Day secure a place on the programme.
- October 30, 2017 – 19th January 2018 - Nexus by DIA 10 week programme will run.
- January 23, 2018 – Demo Day. Participating startups will showcase their product and business solutions and their proposals to secure a future relationship with Dia.
Head straight to www.nexusbydia.com to take a read over all the info, FAQs and to make that all important application. Good luck to all that apply!
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Published on: 17th July 2017
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