Target India announces fifth batch for the Target Accelerator Program

Target India has announced the fifth and the largest batch yet for the Target Accelerator Program. Eight startups have been selected to develop innovative technology solutions with the potential to enhance guest experiences at Target and in the wider retail industry. These startups will work in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, analytics and digital experiences.

The startups selected for the accelerator program will go through a rigorous four-month program, wherein they will get to refine their technology offerings and pilot solutions at Target stores or headquarter locations. In addition, during their stint with the accelerator, they will have access to Target business leaders as mentors.

The startups will also be provided with legal, financial and talent consulting services based on the needs of the startup. Besides, they will have the opportunity to pitch their products and capabilities to investors and others in Bangalore’s startup ecosystem, and possibly continue their engagement with Target.

The eight startups are-

1. Cogknit, which has a solution that extracts context from videos and is able to generate a textual play-by-play of the video content.

2. Hyperworks has developed software that integrates with hardware to scan fresh produce using a simple camera.

3. Moonraft is a design consultant with an artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistant in the trial room.

4. Cognitifai is able to perform video analytics on video footage (both live and offline).

5. Light Information Systems has capabilities in natural language processing that can be applied to customer support functions.

6. vPhrase can generate insights in natural language from structured data.

7. Streamoid enables personalized product recommendations and natural language search.

8. Jumper.ai enables shopping on social media through hashtags.

Target Accelerator Program was launched in December 2012. Till now 22 startups have been graduated from the program. Along with external startups, Target also encourages participation from internal teams in the accelerator program. The startups work with various internal Target teams including marketing, finance, stores, legal, search engine, merchandising, mobile and digital.