With the application phase now closed, talks are set to start
Greven, 28th July 2017. To participate in innovate ideas from an early stage on: That is the ultimate goal that Fiege Logistik pursues with its participation in the Logistics Technology Accelerator. The logistics company seeks start-ups wanting to shape the future of logistics with innovative business ideas. Partnering with, for example, San Francisco’s RocketSpace technology campus and Spain’s Kaleido, Fiege has now entered the next stage of the Logistics Tech Accelerator.
“We took along many good impulses from the last round and struck up an intensive rapport with some of the start-ups”, says Andreas Pott, Director Corporate Development at Fiege. Together with some of his colleagues, he accompanied the Accelerator and visited RocketSpace’s technology campus in Silicon Valley. Over a four-month period, ten selected start-ups benefited from the expertise supplied by Fiege and other partnering Accelerator members, in an attempt to advance their business model. “One highlight for me was the presentation of the pilot projects”, recalls Pott. “At RocketSpace in San Francisco, we presented our results together with the start-ups to a professional audience comprising entrepreneurs, investors, and other start-ups.”
Workshops in USA and in Germany
Fiege had chosen four start-ups with whom it had discussed the possibility of joining in the advancement of their idea and launching potential market tests. “For example, we conducted multiple workshops with the IAM Robotics start-up from Pittsburgh – both in USA and in Germany”, says Pott. The American start-up produces mobile picking robots. “Robotics in intra-logistics is a focal area for us”, says Andreas Pott. During the new Accelerator round, Fiege intends to specifically target start-ups that are committed to finding Smart Warehouse and Smart Trade solutions.
“We will expand our team which will engage in the talks with the start-ups”, is how Andreas Pott describes how Fiege wants to contribute to the second stage. More colleagues from at home and abroad are to be integrated in the initial talks held with the start-ups. Those start-ups which had applied for the next Accelerator before 23rd July will be contacted by companies in a next step, and will be given the opportunity to present their idea in detail. The Accelerator members will then shortlist ten start-ups that will enter the next round and receive further support.
