URW Link is the gateway to work fast with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield on innovation projects.
URW Link is Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s open innovation platform. URW Link identifies and builds innovative partnerships for the Group towards start-ups, corporates, retailers, NGOs, and many others.
Our purpose is to source externally the most relevant solutions, test them concretely in our shopping centres and, if found relevant and successful, deploy them throughout Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s portfolio. You can find more details here on our simplified operating mode and our commitments.
If you have a solution that could bring us value, contact us via the form below or via contact.urwlink@urw.com. We will quickly get back to you!
Examples of collaborations
URW Link x Laponi
Laponi is an online matching platform to help recruiters find the best candidates in no time.
URW Link partnered with Laponi in 2016. Thanks to this collaboration, the startup launched a 4-months pilot project in Parly-2 to test their concept on the ground. Laponi has now very significantly grown, being present in shopping centres of the Paris region.
Today, Laponi with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- Deployed in 9 centres
- 10,000 candidates on the platform
- 30 brands collaborate with Laponi
URW Link is a great program to work with the most influential retail actors. It’s a 4-month sprint to deploy and test your solution in a shopping centre and receive a full feedback from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s top management.Marion Nathan
URW Link x Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go is an application that intends to reduce food waste by enabling restaurants, hotels and other food sellers to sell their unsold food to consumers at a discount on the platform.
The startup is experiencing a very fast-paced development: already present in 8 countries with more than 8 000 merchant partners, it has managed to save over 3 millions meals in 2 years. Since June, TGTG has been partnering with Euralille shopping centre and if the test phase is successful, it could be deployed in many other shopping centres.
Today, TGTG with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- 18 shopping centres partners in France
- More than 120 retailers involved
- More than 90,000 meals saved in 2019
Too Good To Go is really happy to include Euralille and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield among its committed partners against food waste. This partnership will allow Lille citizens to have a greater impact within the fight against food waste and we hope to keep saving many more meals thanks to this prosperous collaboration.Lucie Basch
URW Link x Transaction Connect
Transaction Connect helps shopping centres implement multi-brand loyalty programmes, rewarding clients every time they shop in the mall and transforming their credit card into a loyalty card. The solution helps centres gain more customer knowledge to offer more relevant services to clients.
During its paricipation to the acceleration programme of URW Link in 2016, Transaction Connect had the opportunity to test its solution in So Ouest. This solution is now being deployed throughout all the shopping centres of the Group.
Today, Transaction Connect and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- 100% growth since it joined URW Link
- Present in 15 shopping centres
- A development in 3 countries
Thanks to URW Link and its support, we gave birth to a functional product in only a few months and therefore become a major provider of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.Didier Gasté
URW Link x PHENIX
PHENIX is a start-up fighting against food wastage by gathering unsold products from retailers and giving it to charity.
PHENIX took part to the acceleration programme of URW Link, thanks to which it developed a totally new product, beyond food waste management. The audit it launched in two shopping centres (Les 4 Temps and Aéroville) led it to prepare itself to become a totally integrated waste management provider.
Today, PHENIX and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- An ambition to reach 100% of waste recycled in 3 years
- 3,600 meals per month saved within our restaurants in Aéroville
- Partnerships with 2 associations: Croix Rouge + Arc en Ciel de Sevran
URW Link enabled us to develop a new business opportunity, by working with shopping centres. Above all, it all happened very quickly, especially compared to other start-up accelerators with whom we work.Jean Moreau
URW Link x Sous Les Fraises
Sous Les Fraises is a start-up specialised in urbain farming, producing food based on organic principles.
It participated to the second season of URW Link and gained the opportunity to build its solution in So Ouest, where an urban farm was created and a dedicated pop-up store opened.
Today, Sous Les Fraises and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- 660m² for the urban farm at So Ouest
- 2 tons of food to be produced each year at So Ouest Several projects within URW
- 3,600 meals per month saved within our restaurants in Aéroville
- Partnerships with 2 associations: Croix Rouge + Arc en Ciel de Sevran
URW Link is engaged with us in a true co-construction process and opened wide the doors of its shopping centres. The urban farm on the roof of So Ouest is the direct result of this fruitful collaboration.”Yohan Hubert
URW Link x Combo Solutions
Founded in 2015, Combo Solutions develops solutions to modelize energetic and environmental performance for future buildings.
Thanks to URW Link, Combo Solutions developed a new technological solution for construction decision makers in the Group, aiming at reducing the carbon footprint both during the construction phase and the life of the asset.
Today, Combo Solutions and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield:
- 1 new usage and 1 new business opportunity, thanks to Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
- 1 several months test on 1 development project
- Variation from 1 to 3 of the project carbon impact thanks to the modelling
Thanks to URW Link, we gained an extensive understanding of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s expectations, of the functioning of its teams and of the way projects are conducted. We were actually able to go way beyond a mere client/service provider relationship.Guillaume Lafont
In association with
RAISE is based on a unique funding model that combines profitability with philanthropy. The different investment teams pass on 50% of their carried interest to the Endowment Fund RAISESHERPAS, in order to help startups realize their full growth potential. Since Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield joined RAISE’s shareholders’ circle, both companies are working together to offer the best opportunities for entrepreneurs such as PHENIX, Jam, Merito and Spoon.
Partech is a global investment firm bringing together capital, operational experience and strategic support for entrepreneurs at seed, venture and growth stages across multiple continents, with over €1.3B investment capacity. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s engagement with Partech aims at detecting new talent, transforming traditional business and creating win-win collaborations.
blisce/, a pan-atlantic growth-stage venture firm founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Alexandre Mars, partners with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield to help scale innovative new brands and technologies.
Paris&Co is the economic development and innovation agency of Paris. In 2018, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has become a member of the “circular economy” platform of Paris&Co. The purpose of this collaboration is to co-develop innovative solutions in the retail and real estate industries, to create shopping centres that are always more respectful of the environment.
URW Link is a proud founding member of ” La Boussole “, the leading French initiative to support startup growth.