Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa Accelerator Programme 2017

Deadline: October 4, 2017

Applications are now open for the Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa Accelerator Programme 2017. The Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa is an accelerator programme powered by Marriott Hotels with the aim to find cutting edge technologies, that can transform hotel guests experience. The programme will work with startups that have developed products and services which can enhance Marriott Hotels guest experience.

Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa is a zero cash; zero equity; 100% opportunity accelerator. TestBED provides startups with an invaluable opportunity to test their products/services for 10 weeks within an operating Marriott Hotel in a major city in the Middle East or Africa. During this period, startups will be able to receive feedback from Marriott guests and associates to help develop their product. It does not offer startups cash, nor does it ask for equity.

Benefits

Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa offers the participating startups:

• The opportunity to test their products/services for 10 weeks within an operating Marriott Hotel in a major city in the Middle East or Africa;
• A marketing training programme, tailored to their needs, provided by industry leaders;
• Mentoring from a range of experts from Marriott Hotels;
• Global exposure through Marriott Hotels’ marketing and media.

Eligibility

Participating startups should

• Be a for-profit business;
• Have a product or a service focusing on:
  • Enhancing Marriott Hotels’ in-room experience
  • Transforming the overall guest stay and F&B experience, in and outside the hotels
  • Helping guests discover a ‘headspace’ and achieve a relaxed state of mind during their stay with Marriott Hotels
• Be ready to pilot within a live hotel environment (fundamentally beyond “idea stage”; seed and early stage startups are welcome to apply)
• Be based in the Middle East or Africa;
• Be independent entities, meaning that they should not be a subsidiary of an existing corporation or have legal ties to a government body;
• Be represented by team members aged 21 years and older.

Selection Criteria

All application will be selected based on the following:

• Extent to which the product solves a Marriott-specific business problem
• Innovative and disruptive technology to transform the guest experience
• Size of market opportunity and revenue potential
• A strong market rollout plan
• Proven traction (e.g. users, customers, revenue)
• A motivated and skilled team

Application

• Begin your application here.

Timeline

• September 6, 2017: Applications Open
• October 4, 2017: Submission Deadline
• October 18, 2017: Finalists Announcement
• November 14, 2017: Marriott TestBED Pitch Day
• November 16, 2017: Winners Announcement
• November 27, 2017: Marriott TestBED starts
• January 31, 2018: Marriott TestBED ends

For more information, visit TestBED Accelerator Programme.