Target’s start-ups make their pitch

Eleven retail tech startups took the stage at Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall on Tuesday in front of nearly 1,000 people. The goal? Deliver the pitch of a lifetime.



The start-ups were part of the first-ever Target + Techstars accelerator program. They made their pitch at the program’s Demo Day, the culmination of an intense 14-week program. In rapid-fire, five-minute sessions, each startup pitched their hearts out to sell venture capitalists and retail and tech influencers on their business.



A recap of the outcomes can be found here on A Bullseye View. Some highlights:



• Inspectorio, the Hong Kong-based company bringing transparency to global supply chains, will begin a six-month pilot with Target this fall and open its U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis.



• MakerBloks, which creates interactive, app-connected STEM games for kids, announced it will be available in more than 700 Target locations nationwide.



• Branch Messenger, the mobile app that lets hourly workers easily swap shifts, view schedules and message one another, ran a successful pilot in 10 Target stores and announced it is moving its U.S. headquarters to Minneapolis.



• DIY flower kit startup ItsByU announced it will be an affiliate on Target’s wedding registry starting this fall.



• AddStructure, whose technology helps guests use voice search to search for products, told the audience it’s gearing up to run pilots with six of the nation’s biggest retailers, including Target.