Ikea Startup Boot Camp Tests Life Beyond Flat-Pack Furniture
- Robotic beds, shower-water recyclers could lure young shoppers
- Retail giant tests leasing, resale of used furniture
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Sankarshan Murthy sinks into a sofa at Ikea’s conference center in the sleepy town of Almhult in southern Sweden. The former Tesla Inc. and Apple Inc. engineer is jetlagged after flying from San Francisco to make a pitch for his startup, BumbleBee Spaces, which has developed a robotic system to maximize space in small apartments by hoisting beds and other furniture to the ceiling when not in use.
BumbleBee was one of 18 companies invited by Ikea for a “startup boot camp” in late March, following a selection process that drew more than 1,100 entries worldwide. The program is part of an effort by the world’s No. 1 furniture retailer to attract a new generation of shoppers.