Ingenico Makes Connected Commerce NFC Acquisition

Connected commerce continues to get … well … connected.

Ingenico announced yesterday (April 11) that it has acquired payments startup Think&Go, a maker of NFC payment solutions.

Think&Go is a provider of NFC technology that enables any digital display to interact with connected objects, such as smartphones and transit passes. According to a press release, Ingenico Group and Think&Go NFC have been turning digital advertising displays into contactless points of sale since 2015 and, in many ways, have given birth to what they call “Screen-Commerce.”

Think&Go’s NFC products are designed for high-traffic areas with a high saturation of digital screens, which can be enabled for commerce, such as shopping malls and transit hubs, including train stations and airports. Nearly any connected device with a screen has the potential, thanks to Ingenico and Think&Go NFC, to be transformed into a point of sale.

“Connected screens are designed to keep pace with market trends driven by societal change. With their combination of payment features and marketing features, they hold tremendous potential,” Vincent Berge, chairman of Think&Go NFC, stated in the release. “The power of Ingenico Group will enable us to accelerate uptake of connected screens and deliver seamless, matchless solutions to our customers.”

As the release notes, this allows merchants to create an additional sales channels in public places, outside the traditional retail environment. For consumers, these commerce connected screens make it easier to complete transactions and place orders for products to be shipped to them or picked up at retail locations later, and more.

“We are confident that this solution will be a big hit with merchants,” commented Michel Léger, EVP of innovation at Ingenico Group and leader of Ingenico Labs, in the press release. “Integrating Think&Go NFC … into Ingenico Labs gives us greater opportunity for expansion in the field of connected objects. This acquisition exemplifies the way we are implementing our Strategic Plan 2020, whose aim is to strengthen Ingenico Group’s leadership in omnichannel payment acceptance.”

The press release adds that Think&Go will continue to be managed by Founder Vincent Berge but will become an integrated part of Ingenico’s Ingenico Labs group.