FDJ announces its partnership with Plug and Play Brand & Retail France

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Jul 08, 2021, 15:06 ET

BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, France, July 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FDJ announces the beginning of a partnership with Plug and Play, the world's largest open innovation platform.

Experts in retail and e-commerce innovation, Plug and Play Brand & Retail France supports the developments of startups that are shaping these industries through innovation platforms and acceleration programs conducted each year with its partners. By joining the Plug and Play network, FDJ is participating in the selection of the eleventh batch of startups alongside other corporate partners.

FDJ's objective within this partnership is to remain updated with new trends and technologies in the areas of customer experience, retail, and e-commerce, and to identify and experiment with projects that have innovative solutions in line with the FDJ Group's strategic priorities. FDJ will be able to rely on Plug and Play's rich ecosystem to develop strategic relationships with market players (startups, entrepreneurs, partners) in France and abroad.

Raphaël Botbol, SVP Strategy, Innovation, and New Activities for the FDJ Group, said: "As part of its innovation strategy, FDJ has been supporting many startups for several years. Through this new partnership with the dynamic ecosystem of Plug and Play, we hope to develop relationships and collaborations that will inspire and accelerate the modernization of our point-of-sale network, putting innovation at the service of the customer and retailer experience."

Christian Kunz, Director of Plug and Play Brand & Retail France commented: "We are very happy to see FDJ join Plug and Play Brand & Retail. FDJ has made a strong choice to join an innovative network of international retailers and e-tailers, while keeping a local footing.

Since 2016, we have been supporting more traditional retailers, so it's with great excitement and joy that we welcome FDJ, which through its unique positioning and knowledge of the startup ecosystem, will be able to bring a fresh perspective and vision to our cohort of partners."

About FDJ's Innovation Approach
FDJ has an innovation policy that aims to open up the company to new trends and identify innovative solutions among its partners in order to experiment with them and integrate them into its model. The Group has thus forged ties with various players in the innovation ecosystem, such as investment funds (Partech, Raise, Serena, OneRagtime, etc.), startup incubators, and think tanks.

The Group's innovation strategy is based on four main themes:
- Customer identification and knowledge at the point of sale;
- Phygital experiences, in order to offer players increasingly omnichannel offers, paths, and services;
- The 2030 point of sale, to support FDJ's distribution network in developing its attractiveness;
- Emerging technologies, to explore the uses of 5G or artificial intelligence, for example.

About La Française des Jeux (FDJ Group)
France's national lottery and leading gaming operator, the #2 lottery in Europe and #4 worldwide, FDJ offers secure, enjoyable and responsible gaming to the general public in the form of lottery games (draws and instant games) and sports betting (ParionsSport), available from physical outlets and online. FDJ's performance is driven by a portfolio of iconic and recent brands, the #1 local sales network in France, a growing market, recurring investment and a strategy of innovation to make its offering and distribution more attractive with an enhanced gaming experience. FDJ Group is listed on the Euronext Paris regulated market (Compartment A – FDJ.PA) and is included in indices such as the SBF 120, Euronext Vigeo 20, STOXX Europe 600, MSCI Europe and FTSE Euro.

For further information, www.groupefdj.com

Media Relations
+33 (0)1 41 10 33 82 | [email protected]

About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 35+ locations across 5 continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

Plug and Play Contact
Carl Tabet
[email protected]
Brand & Retail Paris

SOURCE Plug and Play