METRO Xcel (Accelerator) alumni, tsenso test their solution with METRO
tsenso tests their solution in METRO CC in Dussledorf
Today, international founder teams from seven cities and five countries have settled into our Accelerator offices in the German Tech Entrepreneurship Center in Berlin. Here they will receive intensive support from our numerous mentors in the startup and restaurant scene throughout the entire duration of the program and will receive 120,000 € each in start capital.
Ten startups have been accepted to take part in the program from more than 600 applicants. As in the past year, the companies in the second round are again very international: they are at home in London, Ottawa, Tel Aviv, Melbourne, Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart. You can find more information on the individual startups here.
For the selection of the startups for the Accelerator, a special focus was placed on the maturity of the young companies. Many of the teams already have established successful products on the market and generate revenues. Some are even making a profit, which is not a matter of course in the first years.
METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars is the first global technology accelerator with a special focus on Gastronomy. The partners METRO and Techstars join to invest in innovative startups, which support business development for hotels and restaurants.
“In this second round, the quality of the start-ups and the value that they can offer our customers – entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector – is once again extremely impressive,” said Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board of METRO AG. “The teams won us over with their innovative ideas and strong personal dedication. These ideas can lead to solutions that harness significant benefits for our customers in the food service and hotel industries. This is exactly what the Accelerator programme focuses on. Its goal is to turn good ideas into sustainably successful business models within the three months. We are very excited about our collaboration with the start-ups and Techstars.”
“The METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars is the world’s number one accelerator for start-ups in the hospitality sector. Techstars and METRO each have decades of experience in their industry. By combining their competences and networks, we are creating a top-of-the-line ecosystem. The ten teams will quickly find out how essential the right network and our mentoring programmes are,” explained Jens Lapinski, Managing Director Techstars of METRO Accelerator.
“We are pleased to have found ten excellent start-ups that are relevant for all fields of activity in a restaurant or hotel. We are excited to watch their development over the next three months,” said Alexander Zumdieck, Managing Director METRO of the METRO Accelerator. “With this programme, we are the industry leader and pioneer in the field of open innovation. We have access to the best mentors and industry experts to drive the businesses of the ten growth companies. With this second round, the METRO Accelerator powered by Techstars is increasingly developing into a community that connects the key stakeholders of this business sector.”