Makeena Awarded Placement in XRC Labs Cohort 9

Boulder, CO, March 05, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Makeena®, the consumer insights and data platform that makes shopping for natural products more affordable and accessible, announced today that it has been accepted into Cohort 9 at XRC Labs. Based in New York City, XRC Labs is an innovation accelerator focused on the retail technology and consumer goods sectors, with support from world-class retail and brand partners. As part of the program, XRC Labs has made a cash investment in Makeena.

“With consumers’ increased focus on general wellness, healthy diets, and sustainability, demand for easier access to natural products is growing like never before,” said Karen Frame, CEO & Co-founder of Makeena. “That’s where Makeena delivers great value to both natural product brands and consumers, providing brands with a new way to engage with shoppers while offering consumers a user-friendly app for discovering where to buy the healthy and sustainable products they love. This partnership with XRC Labs couldn’t be happening at a better time and is perfectly positioned to help us accelerate our growth. We’re thrilled to be a part of the latest cohort and look forward to working closely together in the years ahead.”

Makeena offers brands and retailers proprietary data, including critical business analytics and shopper data profiles. With Makeena’s technology, brands can receive real-time shopper behavioral information that identifies new distribution opportunities, geographic demands, retailer preferences and product popularity. The free location-enabled mobile app gives shoppers the ability to quickly find products that meet their dietary needs (i.e., gluten-free, lactose-free, peanut-free, etc.) and lifestyle preferences (i.e., organic, plant-based, fair trade, etc.) while saving money. Makeena is the first natural products consumer insights and engagement organization to achieve B Corp Certification.

“What attracted us to Makeena is the passionate community they've built and continue to build among consumers who care about the products they buy,” said Kirsten Horning, Principal at XRC Labs. “We also felt Paypal’s acquisition of Honey was a signal the market is interested in platforms that provide ample value to both consumers and brands."

About Makeena
Makeena is comprised of a location-enabled app and a web portal for brands and shoppers that increases shopper awareness and loyalty for healthy and sustainable brands. Through Makeena’s technology platform, brands and retailers receive critical business analytics and shopper profile data to expand their presence in the market and increase business. Shoppers are engaged with cash back incentives after proof of purchase. Makeena is focused on making healthy products affordable for everyone everywhere – in-store and online. For more information, visit makeena.com.

About XRC Labs
XRC Labs thrives as the first design-centric retail innovation ecosystem. It runs two programs annually that bring together entrepreneurs, investors, brands and retailers to foster rapid innovation and unlock new opportunities in retail. It selects startups that are positioned to create significant, positive change in the retail technology or consumer goods industries. The programs are hosted in Manhattan, the epicenter of retail and consumer goods. For more information, visit xrclabs.com.