Today, R/GA and Cannes Lions Innovation have announced the eight female-founded companies selected for the 2018 Cannes Startup Academy.
Hailing from multiple countries, these entrepreneurs are building businesses that promise to push the marketing, advertising, and media industries forward—representing the worlds of consumer research, social media, mixed reality, shoppable commerce, media and analytics, and more.
Camera IQ is the world's first augmented reality platform for camera marketing, helping brands create and deliver captivating AR experiences at scale.
NOM [This Is NOM] Through robust data, intelligent insights, and redefined transparency, NOM’s technology empowers brands to reach the full potential of their media buys and video performance across social properties.
Perksy is a next-gen, DIY consumer insights platform that powers real-time research with Millennials and Gen-Z through an immersive mobile app that rewards them for answering questions.
Planable is a collaboration platform that’s simplifying the social content creation and approval process for internal teams and their clients.
Reply.ai is the award-winning Conversational AI solution that helps brands better reach and serve their customers on Messaging and Voice channels, via Chatbots.
Smartzer is turning branded videos into interactive shopping experiences that drive measurable sales and engagement.
Snapcart provides brands with valuable insights around offline shopping behavior through an app that incentivizes shoppers to upload photos of their receipts.
Versus combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insight for the African market.
Throughout the week, founders will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders and attend workshops designed to strengthen their products and brands. Programming will be centered around “mentor sessions,” during which entrepreneurs will spend one-on-one time with executives from Fortune 100 brands and agencies, and pitch practice, which will culminate with a Demo Event on the Innovation Stage (22 June, 2:00 p.m.).
“We received a record number of applicants this year, and are extremely pleased that our cohort reflects diversity both in terms of geography and the kinds of solutions that can be offered to industry leaders at Cannes,” said Stephen Plumlee, Global Chief Operating Officer of R/GA and Managing Partner of R/GA Ventures. “Our founders are uniquely poised to help brands and agencies unlock new market opportunities, understand their consumers in new ways, and embrace new technologies and behaviors.”
According to Plumlee, the Academy is just one piece of a multi-pronged initiative led by R/GA to connect industry-leading corporates with female founders that can push their businesses forward. In the months following Cannes, R/GA plans to announce additional programs and events with the goal of making “inclusive innovation” something that organizations prioritize, he says.
Joining the startups to lead Academy programming are Susan Lyne, President and Managing Partner of BBG (Built by Girls) Ventures and longtime media executive, and Ita Ekpoudom, Founder and CEO of Tigress Ventures and Investment Partner at Plum Alley. Serving respectively as the “Academy Dean” and “Entrepreneur in Residence,” Lyne and Ekpoudom will help founders make the most out of the weeklong program, and facilitate introductions to relevant executives and investors.
