Dive Brief:
- Target is launching a tech startup codenamed “Goldfish,” and looking to hire about 20 staffers at its technology offices in Sunnyvale, CA.
- Job listings cite disruptive goals for the startup, a project first hinted at by West Stringfellow, Target's vice president of internal innovation and operations, in Oct. 2015.
- Target has launched at least three tech innovation centers across the country in the last two years to spur innovation in retail and food technology.
Dive Insight:
A startup led by West Stringfellow, Target's tech disruptor-in-chief, is set to hire about 20 engineers and other staffers, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The purpose of the project, codenamed “Goldfish,” is still under wraps, but Stringfellow indicated last fall that it is one of two initiatives Target could eventually fold into corporate operations or spin off as separate entities.
Stringfellow joined Target last year as an “entrepreneur in residence,” and was quickly promoted to vice president of internal innovation and operations. He also heads up development of Target and Techstars’ forthcoming retail tech startup accelerator.
One of America’s most tech-forward retailers, Target already has about 60 employees in its Silicon Valley offices, and will relocate several from Minneapolis to work on Goldfish. The company also maintains an innovation lab in Boston to concentrate on food technology in partnership with the MIT Media Lab and design firm Ideo.
Target is not alone. Forward-thinking companies such as Home Depot, Nordstrom, Sears, Wal-Mart and Zappos have established their own laboratories in the nation’s big tech corridors dedicated to advancing retail technology.
