Nestlé sets its sights on 4YFN for the latest startup innovations
by Startacus Admin
With Nestlé returning as a Gold Sponsor to this years 4YFN event, we explored what a company like Nestlé might wish to gain from sponsoring a startup themed event.
We’ve been paying particular attention to Nestlé’s innovation platform HENRi@Nestlé recently, and for good reason. From our interview with Gerardo Mazzeo, the Global Innovation Director at Nestlé, where we discussed corporate and startup collaboration, through to our focus on a number of HENRi projects - all with the ambitious goal of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future - it’s fair to say that Nestlé is taking the opportunity to create collaborative ventures with startups seriously.
Step forward to the Mobile World Capital in Barcelona, which hosts Mobile World Congress and delivers 4 Years From Now(4YFN), a business platform for the innovation community. (26-28 February 2018)
Here, Nestlé returns as a Gold Sponsor for the 4YFN event and, as such, we’ve explored what a company like Nestlé might wish to gain from sponsoring a startup themed event.
4YFN is a business platform that enables startups, investors, corporations, communities and public institutions to discover, create and launch new ventures together whilst seeking their mutual benefits. Considering 4YFN offers such a unique focused platform for custom networking, workshops, congresses, community outreach, and open innovation programmes, it’s easy to see why Nestlé and more specifically HENRi@Nestlé hold the event in such high esteem.
Gerardo Mazzeo, will be there as part of the Nestlé involvement and, much like last year, he’ll be taking part in the tours and the meet and greets that the event offers. Previously, Gerardo had this to say about the strength of startups that were showcased at the event in 2017:
“It was incredible to see just how many startups are in the same business as we are, with a focus on food, parenthood, sustainability, pet care – the list goes on. I was struck by how many had been inspired by personal events and had then chosen to apply their ingenuity to something truly meaningful to them. They had inspiration, passion and ambition to go with their skill, speed, and entrepreneurial spirit.” 
Leading nicely on, this excellent overview of 4YFN 2017 via Chipin.com, highlights some of the opportunities and stats that would make any corporation with a vested interested in innovation sit up and take note. And, vice-versa, any startup open to corporate collaboration consider a trip to Barcelona.
The article highlights that “over 19000 attendees have participated in this year’s session, representing a 60% increase in the number of visitors over last year” and most interestingly perhaps that “This year’s edition featured over 600 startups and corporations, many of which represented foreign companies from all over the globe”.
To further prove the point on the quality of the relevant startups likely to be on display, the 2017 4YFN Awards, awarded the most creative mobile solution for improving people’s lives to London-based startup WeFarm, the world’s largest digital farmer-to-farmer network, which lets small-scale farmers connect with one another to solve problems, share ideas and spread innovation.
WeFarm raised $1.6m in 2016 and helps small scale farmers in remote areas without internet connection, and you only have to look at the HENRi@Nestlé platform and the projects they are aiming to tackle, to understand why Nestlé would want to remain very much a part of the story of 4YFN for 2018 and perhaps beyond.
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Published on: 22nd February 2018
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