Westfield Labs and R/GA have selected 10 startups to take part in the Connected Commerce Accelerator, a collaborative program designed to showcase how innovative retail technology companies can further advance the industry into the digital age.
Westfield Labs is no stranger to innovation, having launched Bespoke, a 37,000-square-foot innovation center in San Francisco in 2015. The space is designed to create an ecosystem for both merchants and solution providers, enabling them to test new strategies and technologies within the retail industry.
The 10 participating companies in the Connected Commerce Accelerator include:
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Agent Q, an AI and automated natural language platform that powers chatbots, product search and customer service;
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AxleHire, a last mile logistics service of trained delivery drivers;
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Clarifai, an image recognition technology service provider;
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Cordial, a personalized messaging and behavioral marketing platform provider;
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Darkstore, an on-demand delivery fulfillment platform provider;
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Happy Returns, a technology, logistics, and service company that has built a network of physical “Return Bars” for online purchases;
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Myagi, an online customer service, product and sales training platform provider;
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Oak, an intelligent store platform provider that builds technology for physical stores;
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Percolata, a solution provider that utilizes sensor and sales data in physical retail stores to optimize sales teams and predict in-store traffic; and
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Reply.ai, an enterprise bot solution designed to build, manage, optimize, and scale chatbots across all major messaging platforms.
As part of the program, all companies will have access to resources from R/GA and Westfield Labs, as well as input and collaboration from program partners that are global leaders in the commerce space including Macy’s, Shopify Plus, Bank of America Merchant Services, Verizon and Walmart.
The companies can join roundtable sessions with the program partners as well as third-party experts from around the globe to discuss innovation ideas and share research.
“Westfield Labs is thrilled to participate in this program and to collaborate with the next generation of companies seeking to redefine the retail experience,” said Kevin McKenzie, Global Chief Digital Officer at Westfield Corp. in a statement. “We are committed to infusing digital into our physical shopping environments to create new consumer experiences and we are excited to support the 10 companies selected who share in our vision for the future of retail.
Startups were invited to apply for participation in the Commerce Accelerator between March 11 and May 23. The program will take place at the R/GA San Francisco office, concluding in late October 2016 with an event where each startup will present to investors and industry leaders across the retail, commerce and technology industries.
