LOOK FORWARD LAUNCHES ITS 3rd SEASON OF INCUBATION

As the outcome of our call for applications, 17 start-ups have been shortlisted to join our incubator and invited to pitch on Wednesday, 8th November, in front of our jury panel composed of key figures representing the different industries that the incubator is operating in. The recent events linking Showroomprivé with Beautéprivée and Conforama were an occasion to diversify and create desks to welcome each industries : Beauty, Fashion, Retail solutions and home design. Among the jury panel, we had the chance to count on:

– Frédérique Bille, co-founder, Beautéprivée
– Nicolas d’Audiffret, co-founder, A Little Market
– Marie Esnault-Bertrand, Enterprises and Employment Director for region Île-de-France
– Anne-Sophie Frenove, EMEA Business developer, Airbnb
– Thomas Kenzi, Finance Director, Showroomprivé
– Irache Martinez, Brand Director, Showroomprivé
– Mariza Nel, Corporate Services Director, Steinhoff International
– Alexandre Nodale, CEO, Conforama
– Thierry Petit, Co-founder and co-CEO, Showroomprivé
– Coline Rivière, Public Affairs Director, Showroomprivé
– Cyril Vermeulen, Co-founder, AuFeminin

 

As a result of the event, the jury selected 10 start-ups to join Showroomprivé’s offices from January on, and complete the 3rd promotion of incubation that already welcomed 6 start-ups between June and September. Now, let’s go back on the 16 different projects making up Look forward’s new season.

 

Fashion, Fashion, Fashion

The incubator reaffirms its fashion ADN by welcoming 7 start-ups operating in this industry, which makes it the most represented for this season. Dress in the City and Loupilou focus on a circular economy model, and sell second-hand pieces. With Dress in the City, you can buy premium and luxurious brands whether on the website, or directly in their pop-up stores. In stores, the start-up offers a phygital experience : no need to check out, after scanning the clothes QR code, clients can pay directly from the mobile app, which will unlock the anti-theft tag.

Loupilou speaks to young parents seeing their baby’s wardrobe overwhelmed with clothes that does not fit anymore. Kids’ clothing is an important cost item in parents’ budget, which is why Loupilou offers to buy your baby’s old clothes and find some new ones on their eshop.

Kiss my shoe and The Sneaker Guy are both specialized in shoes retail. Kiss my shoe connects shoe stores with consumers. In a few clics, the user defines its own research criteria in the app that will geolocate the corresponding shoes nearby. Last thing to do is go in store and try them on! About The Sneaker Guy, the start-up develops an ecommerce solution to autocomplete missing sizes, therefore avoiding out of stock references.

3 start-ups come complete the Sportswear offer : Soundary Cycle is a “Made in France” brand developing bicycle accessories that are practical and design for both bike riders and pedestrians. The aim is to provide cyclists with pieces that adapt to their schedule: whether it be their professional life or their sportive activity. Starting from the same principle, Urban Circus reinvents and transforms the traditional ugly reflective jacket into a funny and useful clothes thanks to innovation. If bike riders have the legal obligation to wear high-visibility jackets, Urban Circus makes it a real fashion piece. Their reversible jackets adapt to cyclists’ daily needs and is liven up with extra features like turn signals and a transparent pocket to host smartphones and keep an eye on directions. Finally, Pyrates develops handy and sophisticated clothes, provided with an invisible and licensed technology, with the notions of protection and care being most important. This sportswear brand is protecting both the body and the skin thanks to the properties of the 5 PYRATEX® smart fabrics developed in-house.

 

The Beauty and the best

To emphasize the incubator’s diversification towards beauty, Look Forward’s team was willing to host complementary and versatile projects. They are 4 start-ups to join the incubator and represent that industry, starting with l’Armoire à Beauté. L’Armoire à Beauté is the first phygital corner especially thought for the most charming drug stores. It gathers exclusive and original cosmetics brands and lifestyle products, available on the website or in store on a merchandising connected counter.
Still regarding connected beauty, the start-up Wired Beauty commercializes MAPO® Solaire, the last released product from the MAPO® line and first UVA & UVB clip-on textile sensor. The device can be worn on different objects: bags, hats, clothes, parasols… It provides a solution to UVs aggressions in summer and winter, a great source of skin aging and pigmentary spots. And since a pretty skin starts with a good health, the start-up Bloomizon implemented a new personalized health program that provides the exact amount of your vitamins daily need.

We mentioned it in our article on gender neutral movement, “grooming” is making its come back. The brand Horace, born online, was created to make it easy for men to take care of themselves. This millennials brand also have a wide range of products and brands available on its marketplace.

Guillaume, from Supervan, pitching in front of our jury

SOLUTIONS FOR ECOMMERCE AND RETAILERS

3 start-ups will make up the retail solutions Desk this year. According to a study conducted by OpinionWay and GLS France, consumers’ expectations particularly focus on solutions improving timeout, enabling customers to know the delivery day and hour, but also giving the opportunity to follow the shipping in real time. And that’s where the start-up Boxia operates: the solution accompany customers all along their package delivery by sending personalized notifications at each step and automatic warnings to the after-sales service if any issue arises. Boxia is a SaaS tool helping online retailers reduce client support needs, and enhance customer loyalty.

The start-up Colibou also aims to optimize the delivery experience. Customers only have to indicate Colibou’s address instead of their own when placing an order on any website. The order get delivered at Colibou’s warehouse, and the start-up takes the final delivery to your house in charge. And since Colibou knows how complicated it can be to get an order, they deliver between 8PM and midnight at your convenience.

About Mangoo ID, the start-up gives retailers the opportunity to identify their in-store customers and allow them to send e-receipts. Not only it is an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional paper bill, but it also is an occasion to suggest additional items, personalize communication, or collect customers’ feedbacks…

 

HOME SWEET HOME

Finally, 2 start-ups will make up the last corner dedicated to home design, starting with The Full Room, marketplace through which home design addicts use their own house to create an online concept store. Users send pictures of their decoration, DECOD models pictures in super realistic 3D and The Full Room transforms them in virtual stores.

Once you’ve got the decoration figured out, you still need to find a way to get delivered… And that’s when you call Supervan! The start-up enables you to order a van with driver in a few clicks: a simple, fast and cheap solution to convey furniture or massive objects.

The Look Forward team is glad to welcome these 16 projects and to help them develop during the year to come. More will come on each start-up very soon!

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