• Farfetch ‘Dream Assembly’ programme will support start-ups who have the ambition to shape the future of commerce
• Global luxury brand, Burberry, and venture capital fund, 500 Startups partner with Farfetch to provide mentorship for Dream Assembly companies
Farfetch, the leading global technology platform for the luxury fashion industry, today
announced the launch of its ‘Dream Assembly’ technology accelerator. Dream Assembly will provide a cohort of the world’s most promising start-ups with a programme of mentorship, networking opportunities and access to early-stage funding.
Global luxury fashion brand Burberry and global venture capital firm 500 Startups will
partner with Farfetch on its inaugural programme.
The Dream Assembly programme will be based out of Farfetch’s offices in Lisbon and will include a series of workshops, one-to-one sessions with senior leaders within Farfetch and mentorship meetings covering topics including ecommerce, marketing, technology, fashion, logistics and operations, giving start-ups direct access to Farfetch’s expertise in the luxury fashion and technology industries, over the course of 12 weeks.
Additionally, Dream Assembly will offer networking opportunities for the participating start-ups, connecting them to relevant contacts in the fashion industry through further talks and mentoring sessions.
Burberry, known for its leadership in digital for luxury fashion, is the first brand to partner with Farfetch to provide modules for the Dream Assembly programme. Global venture capital firm 500 Startups, which has mentored and coached thousands of entrepreneurs through their Silicon Valley based Seed Accelerator program, will also provide sales and marketing expertise for Dream Assembly companies, including one week in San Francisco and one week in Lisbon during the 12-week programme.
José Neves, Founder and CEO of Farfetch said: “I’m delighted to be launching Dream Assembly. When I started Farfetch 10 years ago, we were a small startup. Back then, I needed exposure to boutiques, brands and customers to try my service, and I needed technology support and mentoring. Farfetch Dream Assembly is dedicated to supporting the best entrepreneurs and teams to scale to the next level. We believe that the whole luxury fashion industry, including Farfetch, can benefit from helping to support the next generation of technology companies dedicated to shaping the future of e-commerce.”
Stephanie Phair, Chief Strategy Officer, Farfetch said: “Farfetch is the global technology platform for the luxury industry. Now we want to give back to start-ups and the fashion technology ecosystem. Through the Dream Assembly accelerator, we’re aiming to give access to the best expertise and mentorship that Farfetch can offer.
It’s wonderful to have Burberry and 500 Startups on board as our partners as we launch and we can’t wait to work with some incredible start-ups and help them in the early stages as they build their companies for the future.”
Daniel Heaf, SVP Digital Commerce & Digital Marketing at Burberry, said: “We are delighted to deepen our relationship with Farfetch by partnering with them on the inaugural Dream Assembly accelerator. We believe open innovation, collaboration and sharing our expertise with earlier-stage companies, will encourage more creativity across the whole luxury sector. We are excited to support the most promising companies of tomorrow.”
Applications to join Farfetch Dream Assembly’s first cohort are now open and will close on 10th June 2018. For more information and details of how to apply, please visit dreamassembly.com.
