Irish-founded start-up Wayleadr is one of five companies that have been accepted into the Sodexo UK and Ireland Accelerators programme, in partnership with innovation specialist L Marks.
Details
Wayleadr, the only Irish company to make the cut, will now take part in a ten-week programme to road-test its proposition as part of Sodexo’s aim to collaborate with start-ups in developing innovative solutions in the areas of smart buildings, employee experience, and sustainability. The software-as-a-service start-up reimagines the last mile of commuter journeys by connecting smart buildings with smart vehicles, saving time, rightsizing property spend, and curbing carbon emissions.
Over 400 start-ups applied to the programme, which was launched in January, and Wayleadr was one of 21 selected to pitch their business propositions to Sodexo at live events in London and Dublin.
The 21 start-ups pitched their innovations (virtually and in-person) to an audience of Sodexo senior leaders and operational teams, the organisation’s experts in areas such as sustainability, employee engagement, marketing and supply chain, and marketing consultants.
In order to ensure that solutions relevant to its operations were among the finalists, Sodexo opened up the pitches to its colleagues around the business by live-streaming the events and enabling these colleagues to have a say through an app-based voting platform.
The other finalists are:
- Asseticom – a digital solution that advances asset data collection and building surveying.
- Hark Systems – a technology company specialising in helping enterprises to improve efficiency and reduce waste by providing visibility and automatic control over assets such as energy metres and building management and industrial systems.
- Advanced Bacterial Sciences (ABS) – developing next-generation bacterial treatments for waste and water management, pollution remediation, and agriculture that boost efficiency, cut maintenance and running costs, and regenerate natural systems.
- Infogrid – an AI building intelligence platform that makes buildings healthier for occupants, more efficient for managers to operate, and more sustainable for the planet.
The five finalists will now work with Sodexo teams on a ten-week programme that will enable them to test, refine and adapt their business propositions in a live operational environment. They will be mentored and supported by Sodexo’s subject matter experts and work within the transformational mindset of the company’s Vital Spaces workplace value proposition.
Statement By The CEO Of Sodexo Corporate Services, UK & Ireland
Julie Ennis, the CEO of Sodexo Corporate Services, UK & Ireland, stated, “We were delighted with the quality and volume of applications we received for the programme. The pitch days were very exciting and action-packed.
“Technology enabled several of the start-ups to pitch remotely, and by live-streaming the event, we were able to invite colleagues from across our business – not just in the UK and Ireland, but from around the world – to watch the pitches and be involved in the selection process via the voting platform.
“The feedback and votes from both days helped us decide on the final five, and we look forward to finding out how these get on during the next stage of the programme, which will test their solutions in our live operations.”
Additional Information
Sodexo’s Accelerators innovation programme has already launched in China, Brazil, India, France and Sweden. For the UK and Ireland programme, Sodexo has partnered with L Marks, an innovation specialist with experience of running over 70 programmes with some of the world’s leading companies.
Through its global network and scouting methods, L Marks was able to uncover the most promising early- and growth-stage companies in foodservice and facilities management and support Sodexo in the final selection.
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