15 Examples of Open Innovation between Big Companies & Startups

Managing open innovation with multiple value pools is a strategic challenge for big companies. Even the best companies are only able to handle 3-4 pools properly at the same time. While startups and entrepreneurs are highly relevant and attractive value pools for most big companies that engage in open innovation, their initiatives tend to be highly fragmented. There are many initiatives aimed towards startups that could provide inspiration, such as GE's FirstBuild and Ecoimagination, Cisco's Entrepreneurs in Residence program, and Samsung's Accelerator. Other big companies that engage with startups include Coca-Cola's Accelerator program, Citrix's accelerator, and Shell's GameChanger program. There are also several noteworthy corporate innovation outposts in Silicon Valley, such as Walmart Labs and Ford Silicon Valley Lab.