umdasch takes stake in start-up "Jingle"
In September 2018, the international shopfitting company umdasch The Store Makers signed an investment deal with the Viennese start-up Jingle. With a digital marketplace for brick-and-mortar retailers, users will be able to easily view and compare all products and related information, pricing and availability from surrounding retailers on their smartphones - starting on November 12, Jingle will launch the beta version of the trailblazing program.
INVOLVEMENT FIXED
The history of umdasch and Jingle begins in November 2017 with an application for the Josef Umdasch Research Prize, which the Viennese start-up could win in the category "Business & Commerce" in March 2018. At the time, the Jingle product was still in the testing phase. Due to its enormous potential umdasch decided to support the company to a greater extent. After a few discussions and negotiations, the investment was finally signed amicably and the financing was fixed. The sum provided by umdasch will be invested in employees, technical infrastructure and later also in marketing measures. With the participation and trust of umdasch, the company now not only has the necessary capital, but above all access to the necessary know-how for the further development of the product for brick-and-mortar retailing.
ABOUT JINGLE
Jingle is a chatbot company working on a simpler retail shopping experience. The idea of Jingle is to display all retailer products in the user's environment in the future. Behind the interface hides an artificial intelligence that communicates with the users. For example, a user can search around the clock for suitable dealers in Vienna who have stored a desired product. In addition, Jingle also offers the opportunity to browse offers. Through direct route guidance, these products can then be picked up at the store and delivered in the near future. This not only increases the flexibility of customers when shopping locally, but also ensures market access for small shops and shops.
The three-person founding team, consisting of Gregor Wallner (CEO), Lukas Binder (COO) and Kevin Bachmann (CTO), wants to bring the stationary retail industry onto the digital rail and enable a simpler and more effective shopping experience in Vienna. "With the Marketplace Jingle, an expansion from the capital to several cities in Austria and later across Europe is planned - the Chatbot model from Jingle offers this scalability," explains CTO Kevin Bachmann.
VOICES ABOUT THE INVESTMENT
Gregor Wallner, CEO of Jingle, sees the participation as the start of a great future for Jingle: "The investment opens up several possibilities for us: On the one hand, we can tailor our product to fulfil the requirements and do better marketing, on the other hand, we have a strategic partnership with a big player for retail solutions. "
Silvio Kirchmair, CEO of umdasch, is also optimistic: "As a shopfitting company with the mission of realising holistic digital solutions for brick-and-mortar retail, participation in Jingle is a promising option for us. We are supporting the young company in its development and offering retailers an exciting opportunity to use the diverse market access opportunities that are familiar from the online world for their businesses. "
JINGLE ROAD MAP FOR 2019
From November 12, 2018, retailers will have a beta version available to test the app. For the next year, it is planned to create a marketplace, which will be constantly improved by user feedback and complete the platform for dealers. At the present time, the focus is still on the Viennese market and should be rolled out to other cities in the future. In terms of technical progress, the goal is to be represented on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. In addition, Jingle focuses on voice-based devices: In the future, consumers will be able to buy locally via Google Home or Alexa their desired products at the right price and with guaranteed availability.
Here you can find more information and the beta version for download:
