ASOS is partnering up with Wayra UK to create an accelerator programme for fashion tech start-ups, with a fast-track to scaling on offer.
ASOS, one of the world’s leading fashion websites, which garners 3.2m page visits a day, is looking to innovate. But, rather than looking within, it’s opening up opportunities to fashion start-ups around the world with a new eight-month accelerator.
Along with Wayra UK – which is part of Telefónica – ASOS is looking for ‘mature’ start-ups, “with a proven track record of developing technologies, products and services” that can be suitably integrated into its current offering.
‘Meaningful solutions’ to help ASOS customers find the “perfect item” among its tens of thousands of products is key, with wearable tech, fashion design or 3D printing not on the list of wants.
ASOS knows what it wants
On offer for the start-ups is direct investment, mentoring, access to an “extensive investor network” and, “potentially”, access to Telefónica’s 300m user base. It’s a remarkably tailored programme, one which shows ASOS knows exactly what it wants, which is pretty cool.
“Innovative start-ups like RotaGeek, which enabled O2 to reinvest £2.5m in customer experience with its smart scheduling system and Qudini, which is now the preferred queue management system for Telefónica across 21 countries, are great proof – points as to how we can help ASOS disrupt the fashion retail space and internationalise the propositions our start-ups are developing,” said Bridget Lea, retail director at Telefónica.
Submissions close on 23 May, with semi-finalists competing on 26 May, before the winner is announced in June.
Main fashion image via Shutterstock
