Zaandam, the Netherlands, 2015-10-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ahold today announced it has entered into a three-year partnership with startup accelerator Startupbootcamp, to support young companies elected to participate in the Startupbootcamp E-commerce program.
Being involved with Startupbootcamp will enable Ahold to witness e-commerce trends and innovations at their origin and get to know promising startups. In exchange, program participants will benefit from Ahold’s experience as a retailer with a history of innovations spanning almost 130 years.
Ahold’s business includes several e-commerce frontrunners – some of which began as startups. In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn started experimenting with home delivery in 1987 with a service called James Telesuper. Today, Albert Heijn Online is the largest online supermarket in the country. U.S. Internet grocer Peapod, part of Ahold since 2001, started out in 1989 as the first pure e-commerce company in the world. Bol.com has grown into the largest online general merchandise retailer in the Netherlands since its inception as an online bookstore in 1999.
Hanneke Faber, Ahold Chief Commercial Officer and responsible for online activities and innovation said, “We are excited to be partnering with Startupbootcamp E-commerce. With their creativity and flexibility, Startupbootcamp’s young companies are quick to spot what consumers and companies need, while they are also able to commercialize innovations very rapidly. With those qualities, they can inspire Ahold to develop further as an omni-channel retailer. At the same time, our mentors will help promising start-ups with a wealth of experience in the areas of both e-commerce and traditional retail.”
Patrick de Zeeuw, co-founder of Startupbootcamp said, “Ahold is a great company that has offered young companies like Peapod and bol.com the opportunity to blossom. This makes it an inspiring example for our participants. The startups can sharpen and grow their businesses, and Ahold can stay close to the startup-ecosystem.”
The first ten companies selected for Startupbootcamp E-commerce originate from Portugal, the Netherlands, Israel, the Czech Republic, Greece and the U.K. Ahold is providing mentors, with different areas of expertise, from Albert Heijn and bol.com.
About Startupbootcamp
Founded in 2010, Startupbootcamp is the Number 1 accelerator outside the U.S. with a mentor and alumni network in more than 60 countries. The program offers startups access to a large network of experts in a range of sectors during an intensive three-month program. After three months, the participating startups present their company to more than 300 investors on Demo Day. Startupbootcamp currently has programs in Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Eindhoven, Sittart, London, Barcelona and Singapore. For more information visit: www.startupbootcamp.org.
For more information on the Startupbootcamp E-commerce program, click here
Cautionary notice
This press release includes forward-looking statements, which do not refer to historical facts but refer to expectations based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those included in such statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements as to Ahold’s further development as an omni-channel retailer. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Ahold’s ability to control or estimate precisely, such as discussed in Ahold’s public filings and other disclosures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Koninklijke Ahold N.V. does not assume any obligation to update any public information or forward-looking statements in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Outside the Netherlands, Koninklijke Ahold N.V., being its registered name, presents itself under the name of “Royal Ahold” or simply “Ahold.”
SOURCE: Ahold N.V.