NextTechNow is an accelerator program operating within Publicis Groupe’s Business Transformation department. The program aims to help startups scale their solutions among the group’s clients. The team is headed by Marta Zuska, who was previously responsible for business partnerships within the Commerce structure at Publicis Groupe.
As part of the NextTechNow program, selected startups, together with Publicis Groupe experts, will create cooperation models, refine solutions and implement them at selected clients. The offer created in this way will be scaled both locally and within regional structures of the Publicis Groupe. Publicis Groupe in Poland, operating under the Power Of One operating model, serves over 500 companies in many market segments and is one of the leaders in marketing communications.
– In this new reality, our clients, in order to keep up with the expressive changes in the functioning of entire sectors, are looking for specific innovations in the design of consumer experiences. At the same time, its implementation involves specific risks. Through NextTechNow, we aim to leverage our knowledge of business challenges, experience and scale and identify those technology solutions that have the greatest potential for growth. Open innovation is an obvious long-term benefit for each party,” says Krzysztof Sobieszek, Business Transformation Practice Lead at Publicis Groupe.
The NextTechNow cooperation and acceleration program will invite startups dealing with new technologies and creating innovative communication experiences, in retail, including digital commerce and client service, with a particular emphasis on areas such as: MarTech and AdTech, Gaming, Commerce, Data, AR, VR.
– Technology solutions and startups that we help to develop through acceleration are guaranteed to enter our permanent product offering. We are a reliable business partner for startups, as we possess a wide range of expertise and direct business relationships in various market verticals. By partnering with our Group, startups are guaranteed the opportunity to scale and grow, strengthening their visibility. – says Marta Zuska, who has taken the position of Head of NextTechNow at Publicis Groupe Poland.
The partner in the startups recruitment process for this year’s first edition of NextTechNow is ReaktorX, which for many years has supported startups in the development and scaling of solutions.
– For owners of technology companies looking to partner with big business, this is a great opportunity to scale and take their startup to a whole new level. The ability of young companies to quickly master new technologies, to nimbly build new products and services based on them and the ease of conducting strategy changes, will give both sides of this cooperation a chance for mutual success – says Agata Kwaśniewska, CEO of ReaktorX.
Apart from Marta Zuska and Krzysztof Sobieszek, the team developing NextTechNow at Publicis Groupe consists of: Beata Szcześniak, CEO of the Spark Foundry media agency, Małgorzata Hejka, Strategy and Innovation Director at Spark Foundry and Ewa Zakrzewska, Innovation and Curiosity Leader at Publicis Groupe Poland. In addition, the NextTechNow team includes permanently selected experts from Publicis Groupe structures.
Recruitment for this year’s edition of the program will last until the end of May, and the pitching day, during which 5 startups will be selected from among 15 that qualify to participate in the acceleration process (workshops, market implementation, and scaling), will be held on June 10. Startups interested in cooperation can apply either to ReaktorX at: agata@reaktorwarsaw.com or to NextTechNnow at the following email address:nexttechnowpl@publicisgroupe.com.
