PURCHASE, N.Y., July 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PepsiCo today called on 20 promising start-ups in technology, media and communications to present at the inaugural PepisCo10 Summit, the second phase of the company's new innovation incubator program and a gathering of PepsiCo brand and marketing teams, agency partners and venture capitalists. The 20 presenting entrepreneurs are vying to earn a spot as one of the PepsiCo10, to be matched with industry mentors and to activate pilot programs with PepsiCo brands. For more information on PepsiCo10, visit http://pepsico.presslift.com/pepsico10summit.
Among the top start-ups are several connected TV technologies, a popular trend in media convergence; mobile couponing solutions, a still mostly unrealized consumer engagement point for consumer packaged goods companies and retailers; and niche social networking platforms that bring consumers together around common interests like music and sports.
"The top 20 PepsiCo10 finalists are incredibly talented and creative—an energizing source of outside innovation that we welcome into our organization," said Seth Kaufman, Director of Media Strategy and Investment for PepsiCo North America Beverages. "We look forward to hearing their proposals and partnering with them to inspire new approaches and opportunities to engage our consumers and retail partners."
Entrepreneurs were asked to focus PepsiCo10 submissions on one of four innovation segments: social media, mobile marketing, place-based and retail experiential marketing, or digital video or gaming. In addition to presentations from five of the 20 finalists in each of the four categories, Summit attendees will hear from category visionaries:
"Technology and communications is the meeting place for brand experience today," said B. Bonin Bough, Director of Digital and Social Media for PepsiCo, "and that is why we created the PepsiCo10—to help foster ideas at that nexus. For our company, social and digital media is a growing business driver, and it is important for us to constantly seek out new partners and opportunities in the space."
The 20 presenting finalists were selected from nearly 500 online submissions and will present at the two-day PepsiCo10 Summit where PepsiCo brand and marketing teams will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. Up to 10 start-ups will be named the inaugural PepsiCo10. These organizations will have the opportunity to execute a pilot project with one of the elite PepsiCo brand teams.
PepsiCo is partnering on the program with global venture capital firm Highland Capital Partners and premiere social media publication Mashable and is connecting selected entrepreneurs with other business partners, including OMD Ignition Factory, TracyLocke, dmg :: events and Weber Shandwick.
"The new innovation paradigm is increasingly looking for cross collaboration and novel approaches and partnership models for accelerating the growth of innovative companies," added Michael Gaiss, Senior Vice President with Highland Capital Partners. "The quality of applicants for the PepsiCo10 has been a true testament to the passion and commitment to entrepreneurship that continues to drive innovation across the globe."
The top 20 finalists for the PepsiCo10 include:
Social Media & Marketing
Mobile Marketing
Place-Based and Retail Experiential Marketing
Digital Video and Gaming
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. In recognition of its continued sustainability efforts, PepsiCo was named for the third time to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and for the fourth time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) in 2009. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
About Highland Capital Partners
Highland Capital Partners was founded with the mission of helping great people build great companies. For over twenty years, the firm has taken a sector-focused approach to investing in exceptional healthcare, internet & digital media and technology companies. With $3 billion of committed capital and offices in Boston, Silicon Valley, Shanghai and Geneva, Highland has invested in and worked to create such firms as Ask Jeeves, Avid Technology, CheckFree, Conor Medsystems, lululemon athletica, Lycos, MapQuest, Navic Networks, New York Times Digital, Ocular Networks, P.A. Semi, Quattro Wireless, Quigo, Staples.com, Starent Networks, Sybase, Telica and VistaPrint. For more information, visit Highland's web site at www.hcp.com.
About Mashable
Founded in 2005, Mashable is the top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. With more than 25 million monthly pageviews, Mashable is the most prolific news site reporting breaking web news, providing analysis of trends, reviewing new Web sites and services, and offering social media resources and guides. Mashable's audience includes early adopters, social media enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, influencers, brands and corporations, marketing, PR and advertising agencies, Web 2.0 aficionados and technology journalists. Mashable is also popular with bloggers, Twitter and Facebook users — an increasingly influential demographic.
Additional PepsiCo10 Partners
http://www.webershandwick.com/
SOURCE PepsiCo