GS Retail, Open Innovation Program Startup Recruitment

From Accelerating to Funding Opportunities

GS Retail announced on the 26th that it is partnering with Bluepoint to recruit startups to participate in the open innovation program "The GS Challenge Future Retail" until the 13th of next month.

GS Retail is recruiting startups to participate in the 'The GS Challenge Future Retail' until the 13th of next month.
[Photo by GS Retail]

The recruitment fields are divided into three categories: digital transformation, trendy products, and smart distribution. In the digital transformation field, startups that can better understand customers and innovate business through technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud, and blockchain are sought. In the trendy products field, startups possessing differentiated raw materials, intellectual property (IP), or products in areas such as health functional and organic products, processed foods, convenient substitutes, and agricultural and livestock products will be discovered. In the smart distribution field, startups proposing ways to differentiate operations and improve efficiency in store and inventory management, marketing, and promotions are being recruited.

Eligibility to participate includes startups or prospective entrepreneurs with two or more members possessing technology in the distribution field, and applications can be submitted through the GS Challenge website. GS Retail and Bluepoint will conduct the first round of screening through document review and meetings. Teams that pass the screening will be provided with an intensive acceleration program for about three months, and approximately five final teams will be selected through a demo day.

The startups finally selected will receive market suitability verification and go-to-market education programs held by Bluepoint, along with close mentoring from GS Retail’s industry experts. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to validate their business in convenience stores, supermarkets, home shopping, online malls, and mobile applications (apps), and gain investment review opportunities from GS Retail and Bluepoint.

A GS Retail official said, “Through this program, we hope that GS Retail will innovate based on the speed and focus of startups in a market where customers and technology are rapidly changing, and startups will have the opportunity to grow quickly by utilizing the business infrastructure that GS Retail possesses.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.