Best Buy’s new project highlights tech startups’ creations

You’ll soon see curious spots in Best Buy stores that aren’t hawking any big-brand company’s products. Instead, they will be stocked with electronics from companies you probably never heard of before. See, the big-box store has launched a new initiative dubbed “Ignite,” and it takes a leaf out of Amazon Launchpad’s book.

Under the project, startups chosen by Best Buy will get a chance to work with multinational product innovation company PCH. It will help them with product development, marketing and other aspects that will get their creations out of the lab and into buyers’ hands, so to speak. It will also give you the chance to see new products you might never have heard of otherwise, as well as test them out before buying.

Best Buy has already opened its first Ignite space in its new Silicon Valley HQ, and it has quite a few products we’ve talked about before on display. You’ll see Muzik’s Spotify- and social media-connected headphones there, as well as Noke’s Bluetooth padlock, the Zuli smartplug, the Tangram smartrope, among other crowdfunded and unusual wireless and audio electronics. BB didn’t say when its other locations will get their own Ignite space. But you’ll at least be able to look at its partner startups’ devices when it launches the project’s official web page later this fall.

Via: Star Tribune

Source: Best Buy