The 5 Best Corporate-Startup Collaborations
“No marriage is likely to reach its full potential until it works together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other’s strengths.” This statement, made by author and speaker Sheri L. Dew, sums up, not only a key to an effective marriage, but also the key to effective collaborations between corporations and startups. Like an incredible marriage, the best collaborations between corporations and startups are those who have learned to work together in unity, respecting and relying upon each other’s strengths.
We, at The Heart, have seen incredible partnerships over the years. Here are the 5 best examples, as chosen in our first edition of The Heart Open Innovation Awards.
1.PKO Bank Polski and ZenCard
PKO Bank Polski was on the search for a startup focused on fintech solutions. That is what led them to ZenCard. With a unique loyalty system and a powerful payment terminal, ZenCard was the perfect startup for a partnership that would create new technological innovations and business models.
In mid-2017, ZenCard fully integrated into the eService network of terminals and has already completed a few projects, including a promotional campaign for Visa and MAKRO. The cooperation of PKO Bank Polski and ZenCard has scaled the startup creating international opportunities. This collaboration made PKO Bank Polski the first Polish financial institution to acquire a fintech startup.
2. Orange and Synerise
Startup cooperation with the Orange Group goes back to 2015 and the first MVP tests of Synerise marketing automation solutions on the market. Thanks to the Orange Group’s openness to change, Synerise received solid support from Orange, as well as subsidiaries of Orange (Integrated Solutions).
The global strategy of Orange is open to cooperate with startups, both in the context of providing innovative solutions for the Orange Group, as well as for their key clients. Synerise, together with Orange, has prepared an offer for many Polish and international companies including; Auchan, Intermarche, and MediaMarkt. Many of these companies are the verge of incredible global impact.
Currently, Synerise is also being tested by Orange as a solution in the field of Marketing Cloud/AI in Poland. They have been presented to key personas such as the global Orange Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jean-Marie Culpin.
3. AbbVie Polska and Silvermedia
What if you could elevate patient care while lowering the physical time patients spend in hospitals? That is the vision of this best corporate-startup collaboration. As a result of their cooperation with The Heart Warsaw, Abbvie had an opportunity to engage with Silvermedia — a Polish IT provider, which presented its innovative solutions in the field of telemedicine. Silvermedia’s concepts and products were presented to a global level of AbbVie, which resulted in establishing a close cooperation to implement a joint Polish pilot within the field of telemedicine.
The project allows patients with chronic diseases to be monitored in their homes through the use of mobile medical devices, while remote caregivers can review the data in real time. The pilot program is already being implemented in select Polish state hospitals under real-life conditions.
4. Aviva and Airly
Smog is not only a challenge that no one has yet been able to effectively address, but it is also one of the key factors affecting premature deaths in Poland. This has also been a problem that no one in the corporate world has entrusted to a startup to solve… until now.
The campaign #wiemczymoddycham (I know what I inhale) — became the first such entry of the insurance industry in CSR with the emphasis on prevention in the aspect of life / health insurance. Instead of pursuing another classic marketing campaign, Aviva and Airly have been focusing on building value for the whole society. Their mutual hope is that, by being an example, they will create a positive trend in the environment. As one of the best on this list, they are definitely an example of a positive trend for corporate-startup collaborations.
5. Siemens Finance and Autenti
The collaboration between Siemens Finance and Autenti’s innovative project- SimplyLease, is an incredible example of one of the best corporate-startup collaborations. Their openness to implementing the latest solutions from the fintech industry is changing the experience of of the leasing industries customers. They have effectively found the win-win-win between the corporation, startup and the client. This goal of this partnership was to speed up the leasing process, increase the satisfaction of customers, heighten data security and reduce transaction costs. All of this was made possible thanks to the the partnership Siemens Finance developed with Autenti.
Written by: Nathan Berry
