US based retailer, Target’s incubation program- Target Accelerator Program, has announced the graduation of its second batch of startups. The batch which joined the accelerator in October 2014, consists of 5 startups focusing on smartphone applications for enhancing users’ offline shopping experience. The startups are Synapse, Whodat, Wazzat, Torch and Visarity.
According to the President and MD of Target India, Navneet Kapoor, “We (the accelerator) are looking forward to a continued partnership with this ecosystem.”
Synapse: The mobile application provides push notifications of offers and discounts to customers on their lock screen itself.
Whodat: The app takes three dimensional viewing to a different level with its augmented reality concept that enables users to visualise merchandise in their own surroundings.
Wazzat: Started in May 2014, Wazzat, a visual search engine, helps customers input images while online search to find similar products.
Visarity: Another startup into virtual reality, Varsity has developed in-browser interactive 3D solution for apps, ads and virtual reality.
Torch: The startup provides cloud-based solutions to help offline retailers with sales measurement and customer engagement.
Target Accelerator Program, started in February 2014, is a 16 week incubation program for startups conducted at Target’s India Headquarters in Bangalore. The program focuses primarily in the areas of Marketing, Omnichannel, Mobile, Big Data analytics and Merchandising and Supply Chain Technologies and aims to transform the global retail industry through innovative and disruptive technologies. The benefits provided by the accelerator include mentorship, funding, infrastructure and industry insights besides others.
