Over the past three years, Target Corp., Minneapolis, has been helping startup companies learn the ropes of retail through its growing portfolio of accelerator programming.
Target’s latest accelerator program, Target Incubator, is focused on helping the next generation of entrepreneurs further develop their businesses. That program is underway now with eight selected companies, including Symba, a Fountain Hills, Ariz.-based supplier of enterprise internship management platforms.
Participants are taking part in virtual programming this spring. In mid-June, Symba and the other non-food and beverage-related selections will relocate to Target’s headquarters for an 8-week course to learn all about the world of retail from the inside out.
Throughout the program, participants will have opportunities to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and develop skills in negotiations, branding, pitching and more. They’ll also receive exclusive access to Target’s resources and mentors.
Target also teamed up with German retailer METRO AG on a program to engage with a new group of stage-agnostic startups from around the world.
That program kicks off this week with nine founders of retail-focused startups, including San Francisco-based Afresh Technologies, which produces artificial intelligence (AI)-powered supply chain software that minimizes waste, maximizes freshness and multiplies the profitability of fresh food, i.e., produce, meat, deli, bakery, foodservice and other perishables; Shelfbucks, an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of real-time merchandising analytics solutions; CB4, a New York-based provider of retail analytics software powered by AI and machine learning; and Einride, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based provider of zero waste, zero emissions transportation solutions, among others.
Target and METRO selected startups based on alignment to strategic initiatives at one or both companies. They will embark on a 3-month immersion focused on business development efforts, mentoring and applying an international lens to their business.
