KPN was awarded a 9th position in “Europe’s 25 Corporate Startup Stars” which ranks 25 European companies for their exemplary role in working with startups and boosting innovation. The ranking, which was published for the first time this year, is an initiative by NESTA and Startup Europe Partnership.
Over 70 European firms were nominated or entered for a position in this ranking. For KPN, finishing in a top-10 position is a recognition for the efforts KPN has undertaken to promote outside-in innovation and actively seek cooperation with startups and other stakeholders in the startup ecosystem.Alberto Onetti, coordinator of the Startup Europe Partnership: “A lot of corporations today speak about open innovation and its importance. But the companies that are concretely executing it and pro-actively working with startups are not that many. With this research as well as the work we do every day through the Startup Europe Partnership platform we aim at identifying best practices and helping startup-corporate interaction to grow.”KPN has adopted an integrated approach to foster cooperation with startups. KPN New Business works together with startups to research and develop innovative products and services for future growth. KPN Ventures, the venturing arm of KPN, invests in early growth-stage investments in European technology companies. Both departments work closely together in organising innovative events and partnerships that connect startups, businesses, universities and government. In this context, KPN is especially focused on partnerships in the field of Internet of Things, smart home, e-health, cloud services, data & analytics and cyber security.Jan Kees de Jager, CFO of KPN: “KPN launched its own venture fund a year ago aimed at promoting outside-in innovation and contributing to a positive and innovative startup environment in the Netherlands. KPN New Business cooperates with startups to investigate and develop innovative products and services for future growth. It’s good to see that our efforts and investments have been recognized at a European level.”The ranking was unveiled on 9 June 2016 during the Startup Europe Summit in Berlin. The full list of “Europe’s 25 Corporate Startup Stars” and the press release of Nesta / Startup Europe Partnership can be accessed here.
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