Targeting innovation in Brazil, Nestlé launches platform for connecting with startups

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After reaching 99% of Brazilian households, Nestlé believes in innovation to keep moving forward. On Wednesday, July 7, the company announced the launch of “panela”, its first open innovation platform for connecting with startups.

The aim is to shorten the path between the company and different innovation ecosystems, generating business between agents such as startups, business groups, universities, scale-ups, among others.

“Panela aims to be an important hub to help us have more clarity on how we can actively build solutions in such a thriving ecosystem,” Carolina Sevciuc said, director of digital transformation at Nestlé.

The initiative comes to consolidate an interaction that was present in the company, according to Carolina. “In the beginning, our process involved knocking on the door of each startup and understanding the innovation ecosystem in Brazil,” she says. “Now, these startups have a simpler way to connect, be challenged, and challenge us.”

The platform is born from partnerships with open innovation organizations and hubs such as Distrito, TechStart, Endeavor, AEVO and Nexus.

Currently, the company has 5 programs in place, between accelerations and open innovation challenges. With the platform’s launch, Nestlé will also start 10 other innovation challenges around aspects such as sustainability, infant nutrition, dairy products and supply chain. By the end of the year, the goal is to have 14 programs running.

In the area of child nutrition, Nestlé wants to partner with companies that can help families identify the nutritional health of babies and children at a distance.

The logic of interaction with technology companies will be based on mutual support. In business challenges, Nestlé proposes to build the solutions jointly with the startups, providing companies with financial assistance to develop their pilots.

On another front, the company will also have an acceleration program with mentoring and guidance for business fronts where startups need help. Applications for interested startups are open from today (7), and will run until August 22.

Nestlé’s transformation journey

Nestlé’s relationship with startups began at least 3 years ago. Since then, the company has analyzed at least 1,400 startups and has partnered with 35 small companies. However, the company’s innovation area was created 6 years ago.

Innovation growth at Nestlé will depend on these external connections, Carolina says. “Open innovation offers reflections as large companies. The path to innovation is to understand that we won’t always have answers for everything,” she says. With the platform, the company should remain close to Brazilian innovation.

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