Minneapolis-based retail giant Target has announced participants in some of its accelerator programs. Making the cut in METRO Target Retail Accelerator, Certified by Techstars is Cincinnati-based LISNR, a startup that uses tech to transfer data via ultrasonic tones (and boasts $30 million in total funding).
The 2016-born program has allowed many of its participants to bring their offerings to market via Target-based tests and pilots. The difference in this iteration of the program is that Target announced a partnership with German retailer and "one of the world’s largest wholesalers and food specialists" METRO AG. Together, the companies would "engage with a new group of stage-agnostic startups from around the world. "This cohort begins this week in at METRO AG's Berlin headquarters; at the end of the month, the nine participating companies will head to Minneapolis, where Target is located, where "they’ll tour Target stores and facilities, meet leaders and mentors and take part in workshops on the competitive retail landscape, strategies for working with large retail partners and more."
That's not the last move; companies will move to either Minneapolis or Berlin mid-July to "to continue conversations with Target and METRO business units."
The program concludes on Aug. 8 when the cohort will present their work at a Demo Day in Minneapolis.
The eight other accelerator participants besides LISNR are: Afresh Technologies, Perksy (New York), Sezzle (Minneapolis), Shelfbucks (Austin), CB4 (Israel), Einride (Stockholm, Sweden), IDEE GmbH (Berlin) and UntieNots (Paris).
According to a release on the program, "Target and METRO selected startups based on alignment to strategic initiatives at one or both companies."
Editor's Note: LISNR was named one of Cincy Inno's 2019 Startups to Watch.
