Over the past twelve months, we have organised more than twenty-five Corporate Days with leading global companies including Unilever, P&G, Coca-Cola, Merck, Sanofi, and Bayer. Through this experience, the process we follow has evolved into a proven and repeatable framework.
Each collaboration begins with close alignment with corporate teams to clearly define the business challenges they want to address. From there, we curate a targeted shortlist of around fifty relevant startups and complement this with a broader open call to capture additional high-potential applicants. Once the corporate partners select the startups they wish to engage with, we prepare founders through focused training and coordinate a two-day on-site demo event, ensuring direct interaction with the operational and commercial teams best positioned to move collaborations forward.
Our involvement does not end when the event concludes. We continue to support both corporates and startups through six months of structured, monthly follow-ups, helping to maintain momentum, support deal structuring, and track tangible outcomes. Having delivered this format across Europe with some of the world’s most established corporates, we have gathered a clear set of insights that highlight the distinctive advantages of this collaboration model.
For corporates, one of the most immediate benefits lies in accelerated innovation and greater market responsiveness. Startups tend to operate at the forefront of emerging technologies and new business models, and by engaging with them through venture capital-driven initiatives, corporates gain early visibility into these developments. This allows established organisations to integrate cutting-edge solutions into their operations, speed up product or service development, and respond more quickly to shifts in market dynamics and consumer behaviour. A well-known example is IBM Ventures, which evaluates startups based on strategic fit, technology quality, market potential, team strength, and financial discipline, with the goal of accelerating enterprise innovation through emerging technologies that deliver real business value.
Beyond innovation, corporate–VC collaboration also enables diversification of investment strategies. Traditional investment routes often limit exposure to high-growth opportunities, whereas engaging with venture capital ecosystems allows corporates to invest directly in promising startups aligned with their long-term strategic objectives. This approach can generate both financial and strategic returns while reducing overall risk through portfolio diversification. According to EY, corporate venture capital remains one of the most direct paths to capturing value from new business models, disruptive innovation, and emerging technologies.
These collaborations frequently act as a gateway to deeper strategic relationships. Initial engagements can evolve into pilot programmes, joint development initiatives, or full acquisitions, depending on strategic alignment and performance. Vale Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Brazilian mining company Vale, provides a strong example through its investment in Electrified Thermal Solutions, a startup focused on decarbonising industrial processes in line with Vale’s sustainability ambitions.
Venture capital firms also benefit significantly from close collaboration with corporates. Access to corporate partners expands deal flow and provides early visibility into innovative startups that may otherwise remain under the radar. Corporates bring extensive industry knowledge and networks, enabling VC firms to identify opportunities at earlier stages and diversify their portfolios across new sectors and technologies.
In addition, partnerships with corporates often create clearer exit pathways. Portfolio companies may become acquisition targets or enter strategic partnerships that increase their valuation and market credibility. Corporate involvement can also serve as a strong form of market validation, signalling confidence in a startup’s technology or business model and attracting further investor interest.
Finally, corporates offer startups access to resources and expertise that can materially accelerate growth. From infrastructure and market access to mentorship and operational insight, this support increases the likelihood of startup success. For VC firms, stronger, better-supported startups translate directly into higher portfolio value and more resilient investments.
Ultimately, collaboration between corporates and venture capital firms is far more than a financial arrangement. It is a strategic partnership that drives innovation, diversification, and long-term growth on both sides. By combining the scale, expertise, and market reach of corporates with the agility and innovation of startups, this model enables organisations to remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic global landscape.
