The Luxury Retail Challenge is now open for applications. This program is looking for startups that have fresh, ready-to-market ideas to change the way people shop for luxury goods using digital tools.
The goal is to make luxury shopping more exciting, smart, and personal. It wants to find startups that can make shopping easier, more fun, and more personal. By joining, you get the chance to test your ideas with a leading luxury group that owns top brands in jewelry, watches, fashion, and lifestyle.
If your startup has a solution that uses technology to improve retail, this is your chance to show it to one of the world’s biggest luxury groups.
Focus areas of the Luxury Retail Challenge
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Virtual try-on & smart fitting (help customers pick the right size and style online).
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Immersive retail experiences (AR/VR/MR that make shopping fun and engaging with digital worlds).
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AI-powered process optimization (use AI to improve design, quality control, and customer service).
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Smart Wearables & Sensor Fashion (add sensors or smart features to clothes and accessories).
Funding and benefits of the Luxury Retail Challenge
- The Luxury Retail Challenge offers cash prizes of up to CHF 50,000 ($62,000) to the winner.
- Winners will also gain strategic partnership opportunities with the global luxury group, opening doors to long-term business relationships.
- Winners will also get pathways to business growth and real-world implementation of their ideas with the group’s global brands.
Who is the Luxury Retail Challenge for?
It is a global challenge, and any start up from anywhere in the world can apply
Important dates
- Applications are open until October 13, 2025. To apply, you must prepare a pitch deck in English that explains your team, the problem you are solving, your solution, the technology behind it, and how far along your development is.
- A panel of experts will review applications between October 14 and 24, 2025.
- Ten successful startups will move forward to a clarification phase when they will have meetings with the luxury group (from October 27 to November 7, 2025) to answer questions and share more details about their solutions
- The winners will be announced on November 14, 2025.
To apply, click HERE.
You might also be interested in the MobilityXlab program.
The Luxury Retail Challenge invites startups globally to present innovative, digital solutions aimed at transforming luxury shopping into a more personalized and enjoyable experience.
The focus areas include virtual try-on and smart fitting, immersive retail experiences via AR/VR/MR, AI-powered process optimization, and smart wearables.
Participants will have the opportunity to work with a top luxury group, test their ideas, and potentially implement them with global brands.
The contest offers cash prizes up to CHF 50,000 for the winner, alongside strategic partnerships and pathways for business growth.
Applications remain open until October 13, 2025, and must include a detailed English pitch deck. A panel will review submissions from October 14-24, 2025, selecting ten startups for further discussions.
The winners will be announced on November 14, 2025. This challenge presents a significant opportunity for startups to advance in the luxury retail sector.
