Silicon Valley startups invade Best Buy @ CNET.

Starting this fall, if you’re curious about what kinds of new tech gadgets are coming out of Silicon Valley’s upstarts, check out Best Buy. The consumer technology retailer will start carrying products and services from startups, the company said Monday, through a program called Ignite. Also part of the program is a partnership with product innovation company PCH, which works with startups on things like product development and packaging.

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If you’re outside the Bay Area, you can browse Ignite on the website. Many stores already carry products that came from startups like the Fizzics draft beer system, the Anova precision cooker, the Petcube pet camera, and the Prynt instant photo printer, to name a few. Best Buy, which has about 1,400 stores and locations, generates about $40 billion in revenue annually,according to its website.

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Previously we covered Amazon fast-tracking KickStarters’ in to a store online, and retailers are trying to figure out ways to get “crowdsourced” products in to drive traffic, interest, revenue … big box retailin’ is a tough biz and PCH is likely looking to accelerate their investments and/or products their making for retail to increase volume and get the founders to work through a lot of compliance required for retail with a partner in mind (Best Buy). The news article says PCH and not Highway1 their accelerator, perhaps it’s all part of one effort? However, the TechCrunch article does include them and quotes Brady. Brady co-founded an effort/talk series called IGNITE and this program is also called Ignite.

The Ignite space features a selection of crowdfunded gadgets from startup companies, including:
Tangram Smart Rope, a jump rope that tracks your workout data, including jump count, calories burned, elapsed time and fitness goal progress.
Flic smart button, a small, wireless button that creates easy, one-touch access to stream music, control lights and other mobile functions without having to touch your phone.
RoBo 3D printer, which is made with a “unibody” design to eliminate common 3D printing issues, such as misalignment and inaccurate prints. At $179, it’s cheaper than most other 3D printers.
Zuli Smartplug, an outlet plug that can estimate your energy usage, communicate with your smartphone and even put your coffee maker on a schedule.
Noke Bluetooth padlock, which allows you to track its location, share access with friends and manage multiple locks.