Shoptalk, which organises the most important US event for innovation in retail and e-commerce, announced $2 million in venture-capital funding to support the launch of Shoptalk Europe.
It will be the first large-scale pan-European event focused on innovation in retail and e-commerce, and the evolution of how consumers discover, shop and buy all of their physical goods, from grocery to fashion and everything in between.
The investment was led by New York-based Primary Venture Partners and included participation from San Francisco-based Commerce Ventures, as well as individual partners at Bain Capital Ventures and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The total funding raised by Shoptalk now exceeds $5 million.
“Shoptalk has successfully reframed the conversation for the US retail and e-commerce ecosystem to focus on disruptive technologies and trends, as well as reset the standard for industry events,” said Ben Sun, general partner at Primary Venture Partners. “We believe a similar opportunity exists to deliver incredible value in Europe, and we’re excited to support the launch of Shoptalk Europe with our investment.”
Shoptalk Europe expects more than 2,000 attendees from all of Europe at its inaugural event – all ecosystem stakeholders and all industry verticals who will come together to learn, network, collaborate and evolve.
The event will bring together leaders from established retailers and brands, disruptive start-ups, leading technology and Internet companies, venture-capital investors and other key stakeholders.
World-Class Speakers
The company also announced the first group of its expected 250+ world-class speakers at Shoptalk Europe, which will be held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen from 9 to 11 October 2017.
Galeries Lafayette, Google, Harrods, IKEA, Metro, Pinterest, Tesco and other retail and brand executives, as well as CEOs of innovative start-ups, are among the early confirmed speakers. A list of current speakers can be found on the website.
“The support of leading investors that have funded some of the world’s most successful and innovative direct-to-consumer and tech companies, as well as early traction with speakers from highly respected retailers and start-ups, underscores the early and growing buzz for Shoptalk Europe,” said Shoptalk founder Anil Aggarwal.
“With different countries and regions in very different stages of disruption, a pan-European conversation, bringing all major hubs of innovation together, is critical to understanding and implementing new strategies. Those not part of this conversation risk falling behind both their existing competitors and new entrants, as well as the needs and expectations of their customers.”
Shoptalk: Profile
Held annually in both the US and Europe, Shoptalk events represent unprecedented gatherings of individuals and companies reshaping how consumers discover, shop and buy. Each event provides a platform for large retailers and branded manufacturers, start-ups, tech companies, investors, media and analysts to learn, collaborate and evolve.
The two events were created by the founders of Money20/20 and Money20/20 Europe, the largest FinTech events globally, and in Europe.
The next Shoptalk will be held from 19 to 22 March 2017 at the Aria in Las Vegas, followed by Shoptalk Europe, which will take place from 9 to 11 October 2017 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen.
For more information, visit Shoptalk.com or Shoptalkeurope.com.
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