SAP.iO, the investment arm of German multinational SAP SE, announced last month that it has launched its SAP.iO Foundry startup accelerator in Tel Aviv, focused on consumer engagement.
The accelerator program was launched in partnership with digital business transformation company Publicis Sapient. Seven startups focused on developing advanced marketing and commerce solutions to help brands improve consumer engagement, have been selected to join the accelerator.
This is the first time for Publicis Sapient to take part in an accelerator program in Israel.
SAP and Publicis Sapient will work closely with the selected startups during the three-month program, developing new joint solutions for personalized marketing content and offers, product discovery, social engagement, and more. The startups will also explore integrations with omnichannel customer engagement platform Emarsys, one of SAP’s recent acquisitions, the company said.
“Recent events and new market challenges in consumer industries have emphasized the importance of expanding our partner portfolio in the e-commerce and marketing domains, and led us to launch a dedicated program with that focus,” said Lior Weizman, director of SAP.iO Foundry Tel Aviv.
Seven startups originating from Israel, the US, Poland, and the UK were selected, Weizman said. The companies were selected after screening startups from more than 30 countries.
“The selected startups present advanced capabilities in their fields and have a strong track record of success. They will enable SAP’s clients to engage in new ways with their customers,” Weizman added.
Publicis Sapient, the digital transformation hub of global communication leader Publicis Groupe, and an SAP customer, took an active part in identifying suitable B2B startups from all over the world to participate in the accelerator program. Publicis Sapient will act as a potential beta site for pilots and the go-to-market channel for startups.
“This strategic initiative with SAP.iO helps foster innovation in the consumer products industry, bringing fresh thinking from creative startups to support our clients in accelerating their digital transformation,” said Kristen Groh, consumer products industry lead at Publicis Sapient.
During the equity-free program, the startups will build and develop their long term-partnership with SAP, which includes defining joint use cases, product integration, and various business development activities to form an initial pipeline of deals. SAP and Publicis Sapient are also planning to approach joint clients and host innovation days where they will be able to learn about disruptive solutions.
The following seven startups selected to participate in the consumer engagement program include several companies in advanced recruitment stages:
- Algopix provides an intelligence platform for CPGs, brands, e-commerce marketplaces, and data companies to increase their omnichannel sales and market share, and improve their e-commerce market trend visibility.
- eStoreMedia provides an e-commerce automation suite that helps brands accelerate their online sales, by combining digital shelf analytics, e-commerce research, e-content management, and syndication to e-retailers.
- Explorium offers an automated external data platform for advanced analytics and machine learning that automatically connects and matches internal data with thousands of relevant external data signals to accelerate value from advanced analytics and machine learning models, improving outcomes for complex business problems.
- Jebbit enables anyone to quickly build interactive experiences (quizzes, lookbooks, surveys, and more) that capture valuable first party declared data (also referred to as zero party data) without a single line of code.
- Mention Me is a referral marketing and customer retention platform that seamlessly integrates into brands’ websites to incentivize, track, and reward referrals throughout the customer experience, helping businesses turn existing customers into brand advocates who drive long-term growth.
- SundaySky helps customer-centric brands deliver video-powered experiences at critical moments along customer journeys that engage, educate, and inspire consumers. The company has already raised USD 70 million—an unusual feat for such a young company.
- Vue Storefront is a mobile-first e-commerce frontend platform that operates as an open-source project and allows customers to build fast e-commerce websites and apps without changing the backend platform.
SAP also has accelerators in six strategic startup hubs including Paris, Berlin, Munich, New York City, San Francisco, and Tokyo. SAP says that since the SAP.iO Foundries were formally launched in early 2017, they have accelerated the growth of over 100 startups.
SAP first established its R&D center in Israel in 1998. The center leads SAP cloud platform development for the company, while also specializing in machine learning and user identity management. The center also leads strategic partnerships, startup acquisitions, and internal innovation initiatives.
The article was originally published by NoCamels, a leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience.
