iStarter is the Italian angel-led start-up accelerator based in London. They support local champions to scale globally. Established in 2012, they have reached a million-dollar capitalisation thanks to a network of 100 investors called “Equity Partners”. They are successful entrepreneurs and managers willing to give back to the next generation of innovators.

iStarter

ELSE Corp

ELSE Corp is an Italian startup that offers technological solutions for 3D based Mass Customization such as Virtual Retail and Cloud Manufacturing to fashion brands, retailers, manufacturers and designers; using E.L.S.E., a Cloud API Platform, powered with AI, machine learning and deep learning, puts together the front-end retail processes such as 3D product personalization and virtual commerce, with a cloud-based back-end processes like virtual fitting and order generation for smart hybrid manufacturing. The startup is committed to creating value not only for the market but also for society by redefining the Value Chain for the fashion industry through Applied Research. ELSE CORP relies in open innovation and collaboration with industry leaders to develop innovative sustainable, transparent and traceable business processes and Distribution Models through market trials.  Their services, named “Virtual Retail”, aims to accelerate the transformation of the industry towards a personalized, direct to consumer, customer-pull approach, enhancing the customer’s virtual shopping experience and optimizing the Virtual Retail value and service delivery chain.

ELSE Corp is an Italian B2B startup based in Milan, founded in 2014. The company's core offering is a technologically advanced Cloud SaaS &amp; API platform and the related business model called 'Virtual Retail.' Virtual Retail, also known as 'no stock retail,' is an innovative hi-tech industrial process for 3D and Cloud-based Mass Customization of fashion products. It combines front-end retail processes like product personalization and 3D commerce of exclusive, personalized, made-to-measure products with cloud-based back-end processes such as mass customization, virtual fitting, and order generation for smart hybrid manufacturing.

Virtual Retail, a New Sustainable Business Model for the Fashion Industry

ELSE.shoes presents: 3D Virtual Boutique, powered by E.L.S.E. & ShoeMaster

ICOL Group at Simac Tanning Tech 2020

Empowering the digital revolution in retail

Digital Retail Enhancement Platforms

ELSE Corp CEO included in the Top 100 B2B Thought Leaders and Influencers to Follow in 2020!

ELSE Corp is an Italian B2B startup based in Milan, founded in 2014. The company's core offering is a technologically advanced Cloud SaaS & API platform and the related business model called 'Virtual Retail.' Virtual Retail, also known as 'no stock retail,' is an innovative hi-tech industrial process for 3D and Cloud-based Mass Customization of fashion products. It combines front-end retail processes like product personalization and 3D commerce of exclusive, personalized, made-to-measure products with cloud-based back-end processes such as mass customization, virtual fitting, and order generation for smart hybrid manufacturing.
Virtual Retail offers B2B (white label) and B2B2C (powered by E.L.S.E.) solutions to brands, retailers, manufacturers, and independent designers. The platform enables Virtual Retail Corners, transforming brand distribution channels into new concept spaces that provide a unique Virtual Shopping experience through multiple devices and channels, including Web, Mobile, Desktop, AR/mobile, MR/HoloLens, VR, and Xbox/Gaming. It caters to multiple usage scenarios: In-store 3D, Home 3D, Personal 3D, and Factory 4.0. Virtual Retail represents a turning point for future retail methods, offering innovative strategies for sales, design, production, distribution, and marketing of fashion products.
One of ELSE Corp's offerings is else.shoes, an innovative experimental cloud platform for 3D Mass Customization in footwear, revolutionizing the Fashion Retail sector by virtualizing the entire value chain of the Fashion industry. In May 2020, ELSE Corp partnered with ICOL Group, an international group of companies, to become an AI R&D Lab for ICOL Group, representing a fundamental step toward an integrated and fully automated, robotic solution for the production of footwear and leather goods, and factory logistics processes.

Intelligence Node is a leading provider of retail analytics solutions that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The company offers dynamic pricing and market analytics tools to help businesses navigate the complexities of ecommerce, set competitive prices, and better understand market trends.
At the core of Intelligence Node's offerings is a massive database containing over 3.5 billion unique product SKUs across 1,400 categories and 29 languages. This extensive dataset, combined with proprietary algorithms and advanced matching capabilities, enables the company to provide highly accurate real-time insights into pricing, product availability, and market trends.
Intelligence Node's solutions are designed to address key challenges faced by retailers, such as the inability to effectively track competitors, difficulties in pricing products optimally, and identifying gaps in product catalogs. The company's tools collect and analyze real-time data on pricing, discounts, and catalog movements across the retail landscape, allowing decision-makers to benchmark against competitors and make informed pricing decisions.
In addition to pricing analytics, Intelligence Node also offers solutions for content optimization and product listing enhancement. By leveraging generative AI capabilities, the company helps retailers create compelling and search-optimized product descriptions, improving visibility and conversion rates across online channels.
Intelligence Node has formed strategic partnerships with major retailers to enhance the online shopping experience and empower third-party sellers. The company's solutions enable retailers to provide clearer and more informative product listings, better insights into product performance, and improved search rankings across digital marketplaces.

Intelligence Node

Obsess is an experiential ecommerce platform that leverages augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to create immersive, shoppable 3D virtual retail environments for brands and retailers. The platform allows companies to construct photorealistic digital spaces where customers can explore products in a visually engaging and interactive manner. Obsess' virtual stores aim to drive product discovery, customer engagement, clickthrough rates, session duration, average order value, and conversion for its clients.
Obsess' proprietary technology enables brands to offer seamless and memorable branded virtual experiences without requiring customers to download an app or use a headset. The platform supports various features such as walking and talking avatars, gamification elements, educational content, and social media integrations to enhance the shopping experience. As of February 2023, Obsess had created virtual stores in over 45 countries, supporting more than 30 languages.
The company has partnered with renowned brands across industries, including Sam's Club, Charlotte Tilbury, Diesel, Dior, Party City, Tommy Hilfiger, J.Crew, and Elizabeth Arden, to launch immersive virtual shopping experiences. In June 2023, J.Crew unveiled the "Virtual Beach House," a 360-degree virtual store celebrating the brand's 40th anniversary, featuring themed rooms, product displays, historical catalogs, and interactive games. Similarly, Elizabeth Arden launched a shoppable virtual store in May 2023 to engage younger, tech-savvy consumers and showcase its heritage through digital storytelling.
Key customers and partnerships
In February 2024, Mytheresa, an ecommerce platform, collaborated with Obsess to launch an exclusive visionOS app for Apple's Vision Pro headset. The app offers users a hyper-realistic digital luxury shopping experience in virtual environments like Capri and Paris, featuring curated collections from brands such as Loewe, Valentino, and Saint Laurent. The partnership aims to transform traditional ecommerce into an emotional and engaging shopping journey.

Obsess

Namogoo is a pioneer in the Digital Journey Continuity platform space. The company offers a platform that autonomously adapts to each customer visit in real-time, shaping the customer journey to fit each shopper's needs while eliminating any distractions along the way. Namogoo's proprietary machine learning technology predicts each visitor's intent by learning from their unique digital behavior signals, empowering enterprises to act on this intent and ensure online shoppers complete their journeys.
The platform collects data from visitors' devices and their journeys, segmenting them into real-time audiences. It surfaces high-converting audiences that are 3-10 times more likely to purchase than average visitors. Additionally, Namogoo identifies user populations that do not convert due to UX conflicts, browser issues, or site design flaws, enabling brands to rectify these problems seamlessly.
In April 2022, Namogoo launched the "Customer Journey OS," a revolutionary software platform that enables ecommerce teams to deliver hyper-personalized journeys based on shoppers' real-time needs. It orchestrates all digital services running on the customer journey to work cohesively toward shared goals. The platform leverages Namogoo's vast network of over one billion unique visitors to provide real-time insights based on industry benchmarks.
Namogoo's solutions have been successfully implemented by leading brands such as Victoria's Secret, Neiman Marcus, ASICS, Marks & Spencer, Kurt Geiger, Carhartt, Eddie Bauer, GlassesUS.com, and Ariat, consistently driving uplifts in conversion rates, revenue per visitor (RPV), and overall revenue. The company was founded in 2014 and has raised USD 81 million to date.
In January 2023, Namogoo made a second round of layoffs, parting ways with 15% of its workforce, following an earlier round in November 2022 where 25% of employees were let go. Despite these cutbacks, the company reported continued growth and profitability.

Namogoo

Yalo is a software platform that utilizes AI-powered conversational agents to optimize the customer journey, driving increased conversions and customer satisfaction. Its technology facilitates direct communication between businesses and customers through popular messaging applications like WhatsApp. Yalo's platform empowers teams to collaborate on managing and tracking campaigns, automating workflows with insightful metrics.
Primarily catering to marketers, small, and medium enterprises, Yalo's conversational commerce approach seamlessly guides customers through the purchasing process while maximizing product potential. By combining customer service and sales support, the platform offers a unique and engaging experience for users.
As of November 2023, Yalo reported having 1.6 million companies utilizing its platform to manage customer interactions via messaging channels. The company's innovative solutions have garnered a diverse clientele, including industry giants like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Mondelez, Coppel, Banco Azteca, and GPA.
In May 2021, Yalo secured a USD 50 million Series C funding round led by B Capital Group, bringing its total raised capital to USD 75 million since its inception in 2015. The funds were allocated to expand operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia while developing new products, such as a conversational marketing solution.
Key customers and partnerships
Yalo has established partnerships with major global brands across various industries. Notable customers included Unilever, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Walmart. Specifically, John Santa Maria, CEO of Coca-Cola FEMSA, acknowledged the significant sales uplift achieved through their conversational commerce partnership with Yalo, with nearly half a million corner stores placing orders via WhatsApp.

Yalo

NewStore is a modular, mobile-first omnichannel cloud platform that provides an Omnichannel-as-a-Service solution for retail brands worldwide. The platform enables retailers to deliver seamless shopping experiences across online, mobile, and in-store channels, leveraging modern technologies such as iOS devices for point-of-sale, inventory management, and order fulfillment.NewStore's platform comprises several modules, including POS, order management, clienteling, inventory, and native consumer apps. The order management and store fulfillment solutions utilize proprietary routing logic to allocate orders across a brand's brick-and-mortar locations and distribution centers based on predefined criteria, optimizing shipping times, inventory accuracy, and sell-through rates.The platform facilitates omnichannel capabilities like buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), buy online, return in-store (BORIS), and endless aisle, enhancing the customer experience while driving store traffic. NewStore's solutions seamlessly integrate with existing tech stacks, such as Salesforce systems and middleware platforms like MuleSoft and Azure.Prominent retail brands like Burton, Faherty Brand, G-Star RAW, Marine Layer, Roots Canada, Scotch &amp; Soda, UNTUCKit, and Vince have adopted NewStore's platform, benefiting from its comprehensive omnichannel retail solution. In March 2023, NewStore expanded its offerings to a global scale, assessing the omnichannel competence of 275 retail brands across Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

NewStore

Solutions for retailers that offer insights to improve the product assortment they offer on their digital shelves, increase sales, improve conversions, and boost brand trust

Platforms for retailers and brands to build immersive ecommerce shopping experiences commonly leveraging AR, AI, digital twin, and 3D technologies

Solutions for retailers to enhance online shopping experiences, personalization, and conversion rates while delivering analytics on individual customer journeys to improve shopper engagement

Offers insights to retailers and brands by aggregating and analyzing data across multiple sales channels to boost sales

Solutions providing analytics for brands and retailers to improve competitive position, such as competitor pricing and assortment insights, high-level customer insights to reduce churn, and optimize web traffic

Platforms that provide retailers and brands with greater visibility on overall ecommerce operations to enhance decision-making—commonly through dashboards—including sales forecasting

Virtual stores may leverage digital twins to deliver immersive shopping experiences

Retail enhancement solutions can be offered in a B2B SaaS model

Retail enhancement solutions leverage AI to deliver better insights to businesses, to enable decision making

Improves the personalized offerings for retail customers

Virtual store solutions leverage 3D and AR to create an immersive digital shopping experience

ELSE Corp

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