Metro : Digital ideas for the hospitality of the future

Ten startups in the third round of the METRO Accelerator for Hospitality, powered by Techstars.

• The third round of the successful mentoring program METRO Accelerator for Hospitality powered by Techstars kicks off in Berlin on 11 September 2017
• Ten start-ups were selected among several hundred applicants from 52 countries
• For three months, the teams will collaborate with more than 100 international mentors, get the opportunity to test their products in 500 restaurants and hotels, and receive €120,000 in funding each
• The highlight of the program: the participants will present their companies to a panel of international investors at the Demo Day in Munich on 12 December 2017.

For the third consecutive year already METRO AGand the US start-up network Techstars are jointly supporting start-ups with innovative digital solutions for the hospitality sector - with great success among international investors: In the first rounds, the participating start-ups generated an above-average total volume of over USD 55 million in venture capital. 'Since we launched the accelerator program for hospitality in 2015 we have already selected and promoted 21 exciting start-ups, selected from several hundred applicants. We can with confidence state after the third round that the METRO Accelerator for Hospitality has turned into a fully established program. It is the first program to connect the hospitality industry with first-rate technology innovators. We offer start-ups the opportunity to test their digital products and services with 500 restaurants and hotels in five European cities', says Andreas Wuerfel,Director Global Innovation Community at METRO.

Today, the third round kicked off in Berlin. Over a period of three months, the participating start-up founders will collaborate with more than 100 international mentors to further fine-tune their business models. The real test will be the Demo Day in Munich on 12 December 2017: that is when the start-ups will present their business ideas to international investors.

'We are looking forward to working with the 10 teams selected for the third batch of the Accelerator for Hospitality', says Jens Lapinski,Managing Director of the program. 'We picked up solutions that address the most urgent needs of the hospitality industry, such as managing customer feedback, improving customer service, and supporting key business processes. Over three intense months, the founders will spar with international mentors and work with investors on their funding rounds. This is how we help introduce new digital solutions that are tailored to the needs of hospitality businesses into the market', continues Lapinsiki.

Will restaurant visitors soon be calling the waiter with the help of an illuminated LED cube? Or will we soon have machines mixing cocktails so that the bartenders can focus even more on advising their guests? These are but two examples of what the routine at the restaurant of the future could look like if it were up to the start-ups who made it to the third round of the METRO Accelerator for Hospitality powered by Techstars. The ten companies were selected among several hundred applicants from 52 countries.

These start-ups from seven countries participate in the third METRO Accelerator for Hospitality powered by Techstars:

• BlendBow: A mixing machine that prepares perfect cocktails within just a few seconds
• Cuddl'Up: A digital end-to-end solution to optimize workflows in restaurants, personalize customer experience, accelerate customer satisfaction and increase significantly turnover
• FudyBudy: A restaurant system offering quality take-away lunches for business people
• GuestU: An in-destination App solution that gives hotel guests a personalized travel experience through the GuestU phone
• Impala: A cloud-based software for the management of small and medium-sized hotels
• KITRO: An IT solution to minimize waste in restaurant kitchens
• Nabl: Nabl collects customer reviews in restaurants, hotels and shops before they walk out the door
• Ordercube: An LED cube for guests to call the waiter by the push of a button
• Somm'It: A tool for the beverage management of restaurants who want to stand out with their selection of wines
• You There Inc.: A bot named Concierge that answers the online queries of hotel guests