The second edition of Horeca Challenge, organized by Grup Mediapro, Damm, Familia Torres and PepsiCo, draws to a close with the Demo Day
Yumminn, Grovy and Upwine, the three winning startups from this year’s edition, showcased the results from pilot tests carried out
The second edition of the Horeca Challenge, the initiative launched by Grup Mediapro, Damm, Familia Torres and PepsiCo, with the support of ACCIÓ and Tech Barcelona, to promote growth and technological transformation of the catering sector, came to a close this Wednesday with the presentation of the Demo Day. During the event, held at Tech Barcelona’s Pier 01 venue, the three winning startups from the 2022 edition, Yumminn, Grovy and Upwine, presented an evaluation of the results from the pilot tests carried out over the past few months thanks to co-financing from the partners who are the driving force behind the initiative.
While the first edition of the initiative focused on innovative projects to boost the hospitality industry at such a crucial moment for the sector due to the immense impact from the pandemic; the organization for this year’s edition focused on the commitment to innovation to leverage the transformation of the bar and restaurant sector. On this occasion, the projects presented revolved around three challenges: enhancing services of delivery and takeaway channel using digital content; maximizing the use of hotel, restaurant and catering spaces through incorporating new uses; and improve efficiency of the channel’s value chain.
Yumminn, this edition’s winner in the category of improving the efficiency of hotel, restaurant and catering spaces value chain, enables customers to view and pay their tabs through an application integrated into the POS. The solution rolled out pilot testing at two different locations: a restaurant catering to around one thousand diners per day, and a rooftop bar, with positive results reported by both establishments. Allowing customers to pick up the check when and how they wish reduces the average table time by up to 15 minutes, thereby improving the establishment’s profitability. In addition, Yumminn also enhances customer experience by expediating payment processing, hence reducing waiting time. Thanks to the pilot test, the startup added several new features after consulting with clients, including Google Review and a web app to allow customer to visibility of table payments.
Upwine, the software that allows wine producers to connect with customers through interactive experiences, was the winning solution in the category of projects to develop delivery and take away channel services using digital content. The platform transforms wine tastings into an interactive digital experience that allows customers to interact and meet producers through videos while providing feedback about their products. The pilot was tested at a local take away to boost wine sales via this channel and resulted in increased wine sales thanks to this enhanced experience.
Finally, Grovy, the workspace booking platform designed to promote hybrid office models and Smart working, was named winning proposal in the challenge to improve the use of hotel, restaurant and catering spaces through incorporating new uses. The pilot test allowed project organizers to reach collaboration agreements with over fifty partners obtaining valuable information about potential customers’ tastes and preferences.
The event was attended by Marta Esqué, Strategy & Transformation Director at PepsiCo; Josep Batet, Business Innovation and Corporate Venturing Manager at Familia Torres; Carlos Solana, Digital Business & Innovation Lead at Grup Mediapro; Jordi Torrent, Open Innovation Manager at Damm; Mar Galtés, Corporate Development Director of Tech Barcelona; and Mariona Gaspà, Head of FoodService Knowledge at AECOC.
