Cogz, an app which provides a marketplace for farmers, growers and producers to sell surplus produce direct to trade buyers before it becomes food waste, is one of six start-ups which has benefited from the M&S and Founders Factory Joint Venture (Founders Factory Retail), designed to identify and accelerate emerging businesses and put M&S at the forefront of industry change and trends.
The six businesses were selected from more than 100 identified from Founders Factory’s global start-up network, and over 1,200 M&S colleagues across stores and support centres have been engaged in the partnership – from attending showcase events through to providing insight and data to help the business assess which investments to pursue.
Jeremy Pee, Chief Digital & Data Officer at M&S commented, “M&S is changing to create a more entrepreneurial, empowered and digital first mindset across the business. Expert partnerships like Founders Factory are catalysts for that cultural change – enabling us to work with and learn from the disrupters and not be the disrupted. From subscription delivery models, 3D scanning technology to disruptive new product platform, Founders Factory Retail is parachuting alternative ideas into the business and exposing teams to innovative thinking.”
Photo caption: The Cogz app helps to reduce food waste by helping growers find markets for unwanted produce
Photo source: M&S