LAB 2016: Profiling John Lewis’s Accelerator Program

Executive Summary

• JLAB is British retailer John Lewis’s accelerator program. Five finalists are enrolled in the 12-week program, which culminates in an investment of up to £100,000. We were invited to visit the John Lewis head office to meet the participating startups.
• DigitalBridge is a computer vision company that provides a platform for users to visualize how different kinds of home décor, such as wallpaper, carpet, paint, artwork and furniture, will look in their own home.
• Robotical offers educational robots for kids that are designed to be usable from the later stages of primary school right through to college.
• Ding Labs’ smart doorbell allows users to talk with the person at their door from wherever they are in the world.
• Link Big is an automatic tool that enables brands and retailers to sell products directly from their Instagram profile.
• Wedding Planner is an online wedding-planning platform where users can check suppliers’ prices, availability and recommendations.