Target Accelerator Program Selects Eight Startups For Fifth Cohort

Target India has selected eight startups for the fifth batch for the Target Accelerator Program. Target India, is the Indian operations unit of the US-based retailer.

These startups will work in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, analytics and digital experiences.

Rakesh Mishra, VP of marketing for Target said, “Target accelerator’s largest batch holds diverse capabilities that can add value to our business and the entire retail sector through cutting-edge technologies such as AI and machine learning.”

The Target Accelerator Program is a four-month programme, wherein selected startups will get to refine their technology offerings and pilot solutions at Target stores or headquarter locations. Additionally, during their stint startups will have access to Target business leaders as mentors.

Apart from this, the selected startups will also be provided with legal, financial, and talent consulting services based on their needs. At the end of the programme, startups will get a chance to pitch their products and capabilities to investors and others in Bengaluru’s startup ecosystem.

Here are the eight startups selected for the Target Accelerator Program –

Cogknit

Bengaluru-based Cogknit Semantics is a product innovation lab that builds business solutions using speech, computer vision, and text machine learning. It was founded in February 2009. It has a digital learning product, which automates competency development using machine learning. It also offers solutions in Indic languages to automate workflows like payments in the BFSI space.

Cognitifai

Cognitifai is a video intelligence platform that uses computer vision to index and reason physical world phenomena. The platform specialises in urban monitoring such as surveillance, healthcare, and hyperlocal intelligence discovery for smart cities and retail enterprises.

Hyperworks

The startup has developed software that integrates with hardware to scan fresh produce using a simple camera. Hyperworks Imaging has domain expertise in agritech, machine learning, and infrared spectroscopy. This multi-disciplinary team is using cutting-edge artificial intelligence, imaging, and innovative product design to solve business pain points from farm-gate to retail stores.

Jumper.ai

Founded in June 2016, Singapore-based Jumper.ai makes images and posts on social media shoppable through hashtags. A unique hashtag is generated for a product post. Users who comment on a post with the hashtag are automatically guided to checkout by a conversational bot. This capability is available across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Light Information Systems

Pune-based Light Information Systems’ product – NLPBOTS – integrates with online products or services, web, intranet or mobile, to give users a help feature via a chatbot interface. The product semantically processes text and images and is powered by deep learning algorithms that help it learn from user interactions. It was founded in 2012.

Moonraft Innovation Labs

Bengaluru-based Moonraft was founded in 2008. It is a design and innovation firm working towards advancing human experiences across the digital and physical spaces. Moonraft has experience in creating an AI-powered shopping assistant for trial rooms.

Streamoid

Bengaluru-based Streamoid was founded in 2013. It is a technology company building an intelligent platform for fashion. The platform has multiple features designed to enhance a guest’s shopping experience online.

vPhrase

Mumbai-based vPhrase was founded in 2015. It helps enterprises understand their data better by explaining insights in words using artificial intelligence. The company’s patent-pending platform, Phrazor, analyses data, derives insights and communicates those insights in words, in multiple languages. Phrazor embodies the expertise of the best analysts in finance and automates it.

Along with these startups, Target encourages participation from internal teams in the accelerator programme. Pal’s Prompt, an affiliate marketing solution for Facebook, was developed by Target India team members and has been selected to be a part of this cohort.

Target was founded in 1962, as a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Dayton Department Stores and it was launched as a retailer in Bengaluru (India) during mid-2005. Target collaborates across borders in support of business initiatives.

The Target Accelerator Program (TAP) was launched in December 2013. Till date, 22 startups have graduated from the programme. The startups work with various internal Target teams including marketing, finance, stores, legal, search engine, merchandising, mobile, and digital. Earlier in October 2016, seven startups graduated from the fourth batch of the accelerator programme.