Large companies: how to speed up innovation by adopting a "startup-friendly" approach?

Since the advent of the ecosystem of French startups, there has been a renewed interest in large companies for innovation.The French ecosystem welcomes an unprecedented number of synergies between companies and startups but the changes in mentality are still far away and the old French traditions make resistance.

European decision -makers must be very receptive and recognize their responsibility as a professional innovation.A role still too little written in the minds of French companies.

How can France and its economic leaders develop an innovation culture while the announcements of the announcement and the ambitions to support the ecosystem of startups are clearly displayed?

Understand the problem addressed by the startup

Nothing is ever easy when it comes to innovation.It is indeed very rare that the need for the company and the products of the startup are perfectly aligned.

In general, the company has a problem related to the problem addressed by the startup and, in many cases, the company aligns the startup to its need at the risk of deteriorating the long -term vision to which the startup wishes to respond initially.

It is therefore essential to understand that innovation is not an alignment but rather an assistance in exploration.

How to rebalance the dynamics of power to optimize the functioning of startups / large companies synergies?

How can we better define the perimeter of a synergy with large companies and approach interlocutors with educational discourse on their role?They must, in fact, not appropriate the project of the startup by in accordance with intrinsically outsourcing their problem.

Support startups that still develop their solutions

Aware of its power, a large company, with its vision and experience, can help draw the startup perimeter of action.

Thus, she will encourage the success of the startup and benefit from the virtues of early adopt.The role of a large company in a synergy is to help the startup find its unique competitive advantage, to advance it.

It can also validate the project in order to continue to develop in the direction and on the perimeter which brings it closest and the most quickly of its objectives.

A large company can therefore start a synergy where the startup creates the most value, and not where the big company needs the most value.She can help him validate this value before requesting a solution, a 100% finished product.

This is the support for innovation that startups need!

Contract and feed the generation of income

The company that is investing is promoted by the media and the ecosystem, but that cannot be the prerogative of synergy with startups.

It should be remembered that capital investment is only a credit line that begins the startup and does not concretely help it to validate its solution.Large companies must remember that they have more interest in contracting and becoming the first customer of startups because, thanks to the contract, startups find reliable and credible partners to support them in the validation of their project.It is also a guarantee of sustainability that allows you to register the startup and the company in a longer term relationship than a first project.

Decrease the barriers to the entrance

When it comes to new customers, young French shoots fear large companies.

It is impossible for small teams to face the pile of documentation and the endless security questionnaires.

These processes can take several weeks and are processed by whole teams in more mature suppliers.

This is a massive obstacle to the association between large and small businesses.

Due to lack of time, absorption capacity and knowledge, startups see the most promising contracts spin them between their fingers.To remedy this, some large companies have created “Startup counters” for many years.It is a mediator who accompanies the completion of contracts and simplifies the procedures in order to make them visible and accessible by young shoots.

For example, a large energy company has created a startup counter to adapt how to contract to legal perimeters and thus facilitate the realization of new contracts.

There are many ways to create an ecosystem more favorable to startups and innovation and it is the decision -makers of large companies that have the possibility of taking this stake in the body.

We observe too many companies who want to work with startups but that do not succeed because they do not like to take risks.

The French ecosystem is still too hard for innovation carriers but by creating a benevolent environment and crossing obstacles, nothing is impossible!