Million Dollar Zazzle Open Innovation Winner Selected

March 23, 2012 By IdeaConnection

The winner of the Million Dollar Zazzle Open Innovation Challenge has been announced.   Selve, the luxury shoe individualizer managed to beat off competition from about 1,000 entrants and four other finalists to claim the top prize of a million dollars in technology, software, distributing and marketing.

The winner was presented during a ceremony at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.  In the preceding few weeks all five finalists were mentored by a team of professors that included Henry Chesbrough, to refine their concepts and plans for the final evaluation.

The competition was launched late last year and was a search for the world’s next big innovative customizable product.  It was organised by custom products platform Zazzle, MIT’s Smart Customization Group and UC Berkeley’s Center for Open Innovation.

The Winner

Selve is a customizable shoe service that “modernizes the luxury, made-to-measure European footwear experience, while adhering to old world manufacturing techniques and utilizing only the highest quality materials.”

Customers visiting the Selve website can create their own unique pair of shoes or boots by picking a style from the collection, selecting a colour or colours and choosing from the selection of suede and leathers.

Selve’s prize package includes investment in building online configuration tools, development of a marketing plan, and product launch on the Zazzle platform to a global audience of tens of millions of potential consumers.  In addition the competition organisers will help put the product in front of key investors.

What Happens Next?

According to the open innovation contest’s entry information the objectives will now include:

  • Launching a new product or product line within 6-12 months.
  • Developing a supply chain.
  • Building brand and positioning.

Share on      
Next Post »

Reader Comments


The Selve site is fantastic, well done to them
Posted by ATP Tennis World on March 23, 2012

Add your Comment

[LOGIN FIRST] if you're already a member.

fields are required.




Note: Your name will appear at the bottom of your comment.