METRO : First METRO GROUP Startup Weekend elects the international winner team

From Friday to Sunday, customers and employees from the METRO GROUP sales brands METRO Cash & Carry,Media Markt, Saturn and Real for the first time jointly developed business concepts for Retail 4.0 under the motto 'Let's take action'. With the multichannel app MyPrice, the winning team in the category 'Best Overall' made it to the rostrum at the first Startup Weekend of the German retail sector.

Some 60 engaged participants filled with entrepreneurial spirit convened at the Düsseldorf headquarters of METRO on Friday afternoon to develop their abstract ideas around shopping, eating and living into business concepts with a promising potential. 'For the first time in the history of the Startup Weekends we have purposefully brought together customers and employees to jointly turn their ideas into reality', said the initiator of the project, Gabriele Riedmann de Trinidad, Group Director Business Innovation METRO AG.

Out of the 22 pitches, ten teams concretised their visions, designed, programmed and validated them, some of them until the wee hours in the morning. In this process, they benefitted from the mentors' expertise and from methods allowing them to visualise their ideas within a short period of time, and test them for their market potential. 'On this weekend, the start-up teams have done a convincing job. I was particularly surprised at the extraordinary quality and the remarkable results of the winner teams. It is impressive to see what swarm intelligence can accomplish in such a short period of time', said the jury member Martin Behle, Member of the Operating Board METRO Cash & Carry.

Renowned experts and entrepreneurs from the start-up scene (e.g. Hanns Tappen, founder of StartupDorf, Güncem Campagna, founder of Startboosters, innovation managers of METRO as well as various business angels) supported the teams with guidance and resources.

The highlight of the three-day business crash course were the final pitches presented to a high-profile jury including Gabriele Riedmann de Trinidad, Group Director Business Innovation METRO AG,Martin Wild, Chief Digital Officer Media Saturn,Martin Behle, Member of the Operating Board METRO Cash & Carry,René Bellack, CE Business Development SAP, and Dagmar Bottenbruch, Angel Investor.

The Lord Mayor of Düsseldorf, Thomas Geisel, who agreed to be the patron for this innovation event of the retail sector, was thrilled about the strongly growing start-up scene in Düsseldorf and the commitment of these young and creative thinkers and go-getters who recognised not only the challenges, but also the business opportunities, of the commercial world.

With the goal of breaking the trend of seeking advice offline and buying online, the three-member winning team from Austria and Germany succeeded in the category 'Best Overall' with their MyPrice concept. With this multichannel app customers have the opportunity to consult prices online, negotiate their personal best deal, and then purchase the desired product at a local store.

The METRO GROUP business marathon is paying off for the Viennese serial entrepreneur Roland Derler (38) and his team. In addition to an exclusive coaching from the renowned digital brand and marketing agency R/GA (Agency of the Year 2015) the winners also secured a ticket to Europe's leading conference on new technologies and policies - the Startup Europe Summit Berlin 2016.

The team Vertify was able to rejoice about receiving the Pitch Cup awarded for the most innovative idea. An efficient one-stop solution that can be controlled by an app facilitates the in-house cultivation of premium herbs and fresh vegetables for restaurants. The best pitch was presented by the seven-member team Fusion Retail. A regional logistics system shall make it possible for customers to pick up products purchased online from central collecting points at any time of the day.

The organisation and mentoring was supported by the Düsseldorf-based agency THE KATAPULT which is committed to promoting the entrepreneurship culture in North Rhine-Westphalia. With the Startup Weekend 'Let's take action', innovative minds from the most diverse sectors and countries (including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Croatia and Spain) were successfully brought under one roof to revolutionise the retail trade.