UpVisit - More phygital experiences for city centers and retailers

Dive into the future of the shopping experience: How UpVisit bridges the gap between digital innovation and physical shopping. Where Google Maps ends, UpVisit begins

There are already apps that guide us through our cities, help us calculate routes, check reviews and find new places. But Katharina Aguilar, Alicia Sophia Hinon and Baver Acu - the founders of the Stuttgart-based start-up UpVisit - believe they can do even better! UpVisit is an AI-supported platform that makes our city centers an immersive experience. With the help of the app, stores can be digitized in just a few days and clicks and users can enjoy strolling around and buying locally again. Basically, we want to create a smart world in which digital and analog spaces enrich each other.

We want to get the best out of physical experiences. To achieve this, we see the interweaving of the digital and real worlds as the key to creating new, entertaining and immersive experiences. The step into the digital age should no longer be an expensive and complex hurdle.

Katharina Aguilar, UpVisit

Why phygital?

Only recently, the Baden-Württemberg Retail Association (HBW) called on politicians to do more to prevent the extinction of city centers. Because yes, our city centers are increasingly turning into ghost towns. In order to lure people out of their homes again, around 59% of German museums are already planning to develop their own digital experiences. This was the result of a survey by Museum Booster. A rethink also makes sense in the retail sector. According to Deloitte, the potential to convert visitors into paying customers increases by 74% if a digital device is involved in the purchasing process.

Cities and museums tender for thousands of apps every year; demand is also high in retail. Three out of four analog places plan to offer a digital experience in the next five years.

Katharina Aguilar, UpVisit

This is why UpVisit is aimed specifically at operators who lack the know-how, time and money to build digital extensions themselves. After all, phygital experiences (physical + digital) have the potential to turn a shopping trip or museum visit into something more. They should allow customers to really immerse themselves in the world of the store or the stories in the museum.

All signs point to growth

UpVisit is currently in a seed round. This is being led by a group of experienced business angels (the "Ulm Chapter") under the leadership of Christine Schossig. With a follow-up investment, Vector Venture-Capital is also on board as a corporate VC with a global network and technical expertise. In order to achieve a total investment of 1.5 million euros, UpVisit is currently seeking additional fishing power from Companisto. The Companisto campaign (from 250 euros) runs until November 14, 2023.