Plug and Play's Venture in Arkansas

FREMONT, CA: Plug and Play, a startup accelerator, is opening a supply chain and logistics accelerator initiative in Northwest Arkansas that will bring avant-garde startups from around the globe to the “Wonder State” of the U.S. The robust innovation ecosystem is home to the three Fortune 500 founding partners, a network of national and global companies that reinforce these enterprises, and the University of Arkansas.

The initiative is assisted by the Walton Family Foundation, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and corporate associates Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, and Walmart, and will be coordinated locally by the Northwest Arkansas Council. The new partnership with Plug and Play will leverage the regional strength in supply chain and logistics and will beam a greater spotlight on occurrences in Northwest Arkansas.

Plug and Play will work collectively with contributors from the region to recognize essential industry objectives to seek out the best startups to help develop solutions for them. The program will integrate two divisions of ten companies each year and will promote its ideas through workshops, summits, and mentorship sessions to bring transformation, business growth, and investment possibilities. The accelerator program will focus on supply chain optimization, blockchain, warehouse automation, automotive analytics, and machine learning.

In the accelerator initiative, startups will be matched with guides to refine their business models so that entrepreneurial education can be imparted as a part of the training curriculum. Participants can also work closely with partner companies to recognize potential collaboration possibilities.

As one of the world’s largest Supply Chain and Logistics Innovation Platform, Plug and Play has built accelerator programs and corporate innovation services to make technological advancements progress quicker. The company has over 10,000 startups and 280 official corporate partners, with whom they have produced the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries, hosting 700 networking events per year.