December 5, 2023, marked a significant day in the retail technology landscape as innovators and industry leaders converged at the ESA Espor Arena for the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge Day. Building on the last five years' success, the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge, supported by MediaMarkt, Google, Index Group, and BNP Paribas Cardif continued to showcase the brightest minds in retail technology, aiming to shape future technologies and the retail world today. 

This year's challenge screened 230 startups from 47 countries (with 20 in the pipeline and 10 in the final).

 Since 2018, the number of applications made to the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge has exceeded 700. The number of selected startups has increased to 63. So far, 15 startups have had the chance to make PoC. These numbers show the added value created by the program.

The day started with inspirational speeches by Kaan Akın, Founder & CEO of Hackquarters, and Hulusi Acar, CEO of MediaMarkt Türkiye, echoing the commitment to innovation and collaboration in the retail sector, much like the excitement shared in previous years. 

Later on, ten dynamic startups took the stage, each presenting groundbreaking solutions in retail technology.

Here are the ten startups pitched during the challenge:

3pmetrics: simplifies carbon footprint, water footprint accounting, and ESG analysis through its SaaS platform and API services, helping companies manage their own ESG metrics as well as those of their supply chains—all in just one day.

Abonesepeti: is a subscription management platform that helps you subscribe, manage and unsubscribe your subscriptions in one app.

CUX: is a Digital Experience Analytics tool, helping companies save up to 5x time on analytics and drawing valuable conclusions.

Ingosa: is a pioneering ad tech firm, transforming digital advertising through its innovative integration of generative conversational AI.

Recepta: offers businesses a fast API service for generating digital receipts, with customization options available at an additional cost. Businesses can tailor these receipts according to their preferences and access an AI-driven dashboard for effective analysis of customer behavior.

Reveni: turn returns from a pain point into a loyalty lever by providing removing risk and providing instant refunds and exchanges.

RNV Analytics: It’s inventory optimization solution #KLibre helps retailers decide on which products should be located at which sales points to satisfy customers' needs.

TAWNY is the Vision AI & Analytics Company. We analyse human emotions and behaviour at the speed and scale of AI.

Trendbox: is an AI powered data analytic company serving to companies as decision intelligence partner via digital signage solution with partner Octopus.

Wastepresso: It’s main activity is to produce bio-raw materials from coffee waste for plastic and packaging industries. Wastespresso upcycles coffee waste to produce bio-products and raw material.

The top three startups of the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge are TAWNY, Recepta and Ingosa. The winners received mentorship from Google experts, cloud credits, the opportunity to pilot their products in MediaMarkt stores in Turkey, and a notebook computer from Index Grup. Additionally, 3pmetric, Trendbox and Wastespresso provided a chance to make PoC with MediaMarkt. 

As we close another successful chapter, the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge Day remains a beacon of innovation in the retail tech industry, fostering new ideas and collaborations. Stay tuned to witness how these startups and their innovative solutions evolve and redefine the retail experience.

To dive deeper into the world of innovation and to learn more about how you can be a part of corporate innovation, check out our programs on Hackquarters’ website. For detailed information about the MediaMarkt Startup Challenge and how to participate, visit the program website.

Together, let's shape the future of retail!