dunnhumby ventures Returns to Bentonville for Retail Innovation Forum, Debuting U.S. Startup Competition With the National Retail Federation

The forum brings together 200+ retail and technology leaders and launches its inaugural startup competition, giving entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their technology at NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show

BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--dunnhumby ventures, the strategic venture capital and open innovation arm of dunnhumby, today announced the Retail Innovation Forum (RIF) Americas will be returning to Bentonville, Arkansas for the third time on September 10, 2026, at The Compton Hotel. The invite-only forum brings together over 200 senior retail and technology leaders along with pioneering startups, established market leaders, investors, and innovation partners for an afternoon of panels, roundtables, and networking.

The Retail Innovation Forum will launch the U.S. Ecosystem Startup of the Year Competition in collaboration with the NRF Innovators Showcase during the one-day event. The winning startup will earn automatic entry into the invite-only NRF Innovators Showcase which will be held during NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show.

“We're excited to bring the Retail Innovation Forum back to North America and raise the bar for what this network can achieve together," said Leo Nagdas, Head of Corporate Development and Ventures at dunnhumby. "Our partnership with NRF to launch the inaugural Startup of the Year Competition is a natural next step by giving entrepreneurs a direct path from our stage in Bentonville to the world's premier retail stage in New York. That's exactly the kind of ecosystem-led acceleration the Retail Innovation Network was built to deliver."

The Retail Innovation Forum Americas 2026

The forum enables senior decision makers to form strategic connections across one of the largest open innovation ecosystems in retail. Since its launch in 2024, the Retail Innovation Forum has hosted events in Bentonville and London, bringing together 600+ attendees from more than 400 companies across 40 countries and facilitating over 1,500 connections.

The Retail Innovation Forum is complimentary for attendees, offering the chance to participate in open, thought‑provoking discussions on the most critical issues shaping the future of retail, alongside opportunities to explore potential partnerships and collaborative innovation. Senior retail and technology leaders who are interested in attending can apply at https://events.dunnhumby.com/retail-innovation-forum-bentonville-2026

They are also welcome to apply for complimentary Retail Innovation Network membership via the submission link at www.dunnhumby.com/ventures.

Ecosystem Startup of the Year Competition

The startup competition is for early-growth stage startups that:

• Operate in retail or CPG technology,
• Feature a technology introduced to market within the last three years, and
• Have technology live in a retail environment or in a paid pilot.

To apply, startups must complete the RIN Startup of the Year competition form. Shortlisted startups will present their technology live on stage in front of an audience of more than 200 senior leaders across retail, CPGs, enterprise technology leaders, strategic investors, and pioneering startups during the Retail Innovation Forum. A judging panel including NRF Innovation Advisory Committee member Leo Nagdas will select the Startup of the Year.

The RIN Startup of the Year winner will receive automatic entry to the invite-only NRF Innovators Showcase, plus a $1,000 discount on the participation rate. The winner will join a select group of innovators featured at NRF 2027: Retail’s Big Show in New York, where more than 45,000 retail industry professionals gather each year to explore the technologies and trends shaping the future of retail. In addition, the startup will receive accelerated consideration for strategic funding and partnership from dunnhumby ventures and its investor network.

About dunnhumby ventures

dunnhumby ventures is dunnhumby’s strategic venture capital and ecosystem-led innovation arm with a mandate to partner and invest in early-stage retail technology start-ups that embrace data and artificial intelligence for innovation along the customer's path to purchase. We foster industry collaboration via the Retail Innovation Network, our exclusive ecosystem of senior retail innovation leaders, and seek to align with partners at an early stage to supercharge their ability to take innovation to market by tapping into dunnhumby's retail industry expertise, pioneering data science assets, and global retailer and supplier partner network. Our areas of focus include artificial intelligence (AI), data capture and enrichment, retail media, customer engagement, category management, supply chain, and commerce.

About dunnhumby

The science of serving every customer. Together. At scale.

dunnhumby helps businesses grow through faster, better decision making, as the essential intelligence layer connecting the world’s leading retailers and brands.

Sitting at the intersection of loyalty, media, and category management, dunnhumby, helps to navigate complex and competing priorities. Combining AI-enabled science, software, trusted advice, and 35+ years of dedicated retail experience, dunnhumby is recognized as a leader in connecting customer insight and action to build loyalty, drive performance, and deliver results that last.

With offices in locations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, dunnhumby works brands including Tesco, Walmart Data Ventures, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, and L’Oreal, to make smarter decisions today and tomorrow.