Nestlé looks to startups for a healthier future

by Startacus Admin

Looking to innovate, enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future is no mean feat. However, step forward Nestlé, who have decided to launch their open innovation platform:HENRi@Nestlé. It aims to pursue those ‘big goals’ by partnering and collaborating with innovative and equally ambitious startups.

HENRi@Nestlé is an open innovation platform within which Nestlé partners with start-ups and entrepreneurs to create innovative, high-potential and scalable solutions in response to internal brand and business challenges. It is named after Nestlé founder Henri Nestlé, a pioneer and entrepreneur who was motivated by the challenges and the needs of the society he was living in.

Ultimately by connecting the brightest ideas and innovation with Nestlé’s businesses, expertise and market insights, it will surely prove to be a win-win for all concerned: Nestlé, the startups they collaborate with and, in the long run, individuals and families. 

Since its launch, HENRi@Nestlé has opened up projects and briefs on a variety of business challenges. A number of those projects have already closed for applications – they range from reimagining the future of bottled water, to a mobile diagnostics project in assessing and testing for micronutrient deficiencies in a non-invasive way. Interesting challenges, and we’re sure that you’ll agree the bar has been set pretty high in pursuing those big goals.

The HENRi team is based in Vevey, Switzerland, but also has a supporting presence in San Francisco and London. The team includes Nestlé staff from various backgrounds, but all with extensive experience in digital innovation and startups.

For those startups which are selected through HENRi for each innovation project, $50k is being offered for the co-development of a solution and its pilot. In addition, Nestlé will be providing the selected startups with access to expertise and connections with key stakeholders from the relevant Nestlé businesses, who they’ll work with throughout the project.” 

However it’s not just via the HENRi@Nestlé platform that projects will be shortlisted, since the recent announcement that Nestlé and global advertising agency McCann are to sponsor the established pitch competition, The Next Big Thing. The Next Big Thing will be a defining feature of this year’s ad:tech London event and will give tech startups the opportunity to pitch for a $50k pilot at the 29-30^th November conference itself.

So far, HENRi have partnered with a host of promising start-ups, entrepreneurs and innovators to launch new digital solutions and services, and with more new live projects set to be launched soon, it will be interesting to see what direction HENRi and Nestlé take over the next few months and years. HENRi is open for business! 

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Published on: 3rd August 2017