On 6 March StartLife signed a partner agreement with METRO in order to develop innovative FoodTech solutions. The company is represented in the Netherlands by its wholesale sales line Makro. Until 1st of March 2020 StartLife and METRO will cooperate on supporting startups.
The METRO Wholesale & Food Specialist Company (W&FS Co.) is an internationally leading specialist in wholesale and food retail. With its sales lines METRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as its other associated companies, METRO W&FS Co. operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people around the world. In 2015/16, METRO W&FS Co. achieved sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. More information is available at www.metroag.de/en.
Jan Meiling, Managing Director of StartLife, on the importance of this partnership for both parties: “Food wholesale and retail companies have been selling their food products in the same way for thirty years or more, but this is about to change. Companies try to anticipate this change, but to do so they need insight into new
technology and new, often shorter, logistics lines. The cooperation enables access to the disruptive innovations our startups are working on, from new food products to new ways of delivering or presenting products.” According to Fabio Ziemssen, Head of Food Innovation, the partnership benefits both parties. “It gives startups linked to StartLife access to the stores of wholesale and retail sales lines of METRO, providing them with the opportunity to test their products in a real environment. Whilst our professional customers will gain new business ideas and opportunities through enlarged and innovative assortment”.
With the partnership, METRO is also officially partnering with F&A Next, the match & deal-making event for Food & Agri startups held at the Wageningen Campus every May. From the METRO side the cooperation will be executed by the team of HoReCa.digital, as FoodTech innovation is one of the major areas of work of the newly created subsidiary.
If you would like to get in touch with METRO or Makro, please send an email: Marloes Groenewegen.