These five tech start ups are set to disrupt retail in 2016

How many have you heard of?

John Lewis has selected five retail tech startups for JLAB 2016, its accelerator programme, that will disrupt the sector this year.

The five startups were whittled down from more than 280 initial applications.

Here are the five tech start ups are set to disrupt retail in 2016

• DigitalBridge – DigitalBridge solves the problem of the imagination gap by allowing customers to visualise new home furnishings using Computer Vision and Machine Learning technology.

• Ding Labs – A doorbell that taps into the smart home revolution by enabling homeowners to talk to the person at their front door from anywhere in the world

• Link Big – A tool that turns Instagram to a social checkout by allowing customers to buy products seamlessly from their Instagram feed

• Robotical – The creators of Marty the Robot. A fully programmable, customisable walking robot to help kids learn about coding, 3D printing and robotics.

• Wedding Planner – Combining technology, industry expertise and creativity to help brides and grooms to-be plan their wedding from their phone and online.

Paul Coby, IT Director at John Lewis, said: “From programmable robotics to advanced visualisation, our finalists are locked into some of the most exciting growth areas in modern retail.  John Lewis aims to be at the forefront of innovation, and JLAB is how we engage with the vibrant UK start up scene. The next twelve weeks will be a great period of development for the finalists, as they rapidly hone their products under guidance from John Lewis mentors and industry experts. I can’t wait to see what the final outcome will be.”