Research from Nesta has found that 32 of a total 103 accelerators in Europe are now backed by corporates, making up nearly a third of all of these kinds of programmes in the region.
The organisation’s ‘Winning Together‘ report, created with Startup Europe Partnership and Founders Forum, looks into the growing need for corporates to engage with the companies that are disrupting their sectors.
The research also found that 80% of acquisitions made by Europe’s top 130 companies were startups, rather than more established firms.
Introducing the findings, Brent Hoberman, cofounder of lastminute.com and made.com, and the CEO of Founders Forum networking group, said: “The importance of innovation is not lost on most corporates. Much has been written about the drastically shortening lifespan of big companies – the average tenure of a firm in the S&P 500 has shrunk from 61 years in 1958 to 18 years.
“But the most forward thinking corporates know that the best ideas don’t always come from within their own business. Instead they are setting powerful examples of how working with and investing in startups can help defend and grow market position.”
To this end, Hoberman’s Founders Forum has just unveiled a round of corporate funding from Holtzbrinck Publishing Group into its Founders Factory incubator and accelerator, which launched in 2014.
“We’ve never been afraid to try new things,” said Stefan von Holtzbrinck, Holtzbrinck CEO. “Our diverse, global businesses aim to push the frontiers of learning and discovery by providing the best content and most innovative technology solutions to students, teachers, researchers and parents.
“The approach being taken by Founders Factory offers a very interesting and unique way to support and test a novel model in incubation and acceleration and we look forward to working with our new partners there.”