Oct 9, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Plug and Play Seeks Startups Improving the Supply Chains, Manufacturing, Procurement, and the Logistics Industry

Plug and Play Supply Chain, the world's largest Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Platform, is opening applications to startups from different growth stages for its Innovation program, giving them the chance to secure a spot in the second cohort. Since its launch in March, Plug and Play Supply Chain has partnered with over a dozen of the largest Logistics and Manufacturing corporations, including Maersk, Ericsson, Union Pacific Railroad, Panasonic, Prologis, Ryder, BASF, DHL, Kansas City Southern, and Swiss Post.

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"Being a part of the Plug and Play Supply Chain and Logistics Innovation Platform gave us a tremendous amount of exposure to Industrial and Logistics companies and VCs across the world," says Ra’ed ElMurib, CEO of Shoof Technologies. "Through the program, we were able to develop many strong relationships and partnerships, which will be crucial as we grow and expand."

Startups accepted into the 12-week program will get access to a number of Manufacturing and Logistics companies, including all of the program's partners for potential pilots and investments. They will also receive office space at Plug and Play's Silicon Valley headquarters, expert mentor curricula, expedited business development, exposure to corporate partners from other Plug and Play's global programs, and a chance to pitch in front of Silicon Valley's biggest investors at the Summer EXPO.

With the commencement of the first Supply Chain batch, Plug and Play has begun actively sourcing for the next cohort of high quality startups. The first cohort of companies covered an expansive market from Artificial Intelligence solutions for Procurement to Robotics, ranging from early stage to growth companies. These startups have had the opportunity to meet with some of the largest corporations and investors in the world who are actively seeking partnership and investment opportunities with startups.

"With the high interest that we have received from industry leaders and their eagerness to innovate, we plan to not only replicate the success of the first cohort, but to improve on our service offerings. We will continue to facilitate the growth for the entrepreneurs that are targeting to innovate, disrupt, and transform industries even more," says Farzin Shadpour, Vice President and Managing Director of Plug and Play Supply Chain.

With over 700 portfolio companies and more than 200 corporate partners, Plug and Play is a leader in startup success. Plug and Play has created focused innovation platforms in the areas of Brand & Retail, Health & Wellness, FinTech & Security, Internet of Things, Mobility, Media & Mobile, New Materials & Packaging, and Travel & Hospitality. With the launch of the Supply Chain Platform earlier this year, the program aims to bring together everyone who can add value to the startup ecosystem and facilitate innovation in the industry.

For the first cohort Plug and Play reviewed close to a thousand applications from diverse backgrounds. The applicants came from more than 30 countries including: United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, France, Austria, Russia, China, Czech Republic, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Israel, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. They represented more than 50 of the world’s top universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of Cambridge, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore (NUS), University of California, Berkeley (UCB), University of Oxford, Tsinghua University, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Northwestern University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Purdue University, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Berlin, and Johns Hopkins University. Their solutions were geared toward many industries including: Maritime shipping, Rail Freight, Air-Cargo, Trucking, Parcel Delivery, Automobile Manufacturing, Aerospace, Food, Retail, Energy, Materials, Bio-tech, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical industries. “We are striving for the second cohort to be more diverse than the first one in terms of all metrics including Solution Offering, Technology, Country of Origin, and Target Industry,” says Farzin Shadpour. Startups of all stages are encouraged to apply: http://bit.ly/startup-apply

About Plug and Play Tech Center

Plug and Play Tech Center is a global innovation platform. We connect startups to corporations and invest in over 200 companies every year. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 10 countries and 20 cities providing necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley. With over 6,000 startups and 200 official corporate partners in our network, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Plug and Play provides active investments with 180 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and more than 365 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $5 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit: http://plugandplaytechcenter.com/supply-chain/