For the past 3-4 months, I and a couple of my colleagues at the HeadStart Foundation have been involved in creating a framework for formal collaboration between corporates and startups for jointly identifying, pursuing and executing business. The HeadStart Foundation is launching that initiative on the 9th at the HeadStart and Compute 2009 event in Bangalore and we have got 5 companies confirming as launch partners (names to disclose on 9th) and 20 more (evenly split between companies in India and abroad) in discussions.
This collaboration initiative takes the form of both online and offline interaction. The online bit is a simple process – corporates identify areas of interest and issue RFIs, startups and SMEs submit proposals that a team from HeadStart initially filter and then route to designated individuals in partner companies. There is also a process for regular offline interaction and doing reviews of the programme from time to time.
Since this is a new initiative, your views would be appreciated
1. Do you think that such initiatives will help innovation and business ?
2. What do you think are important things to make such an initiative a success ?
3. Where would VCs fit in to all this ? How should we engage investors ?
See you on 9th and 10th for those of you who can make it to Bangalore. Even otherwise, the Startup Saturdays are always there. And the online collaboration platform is an open one, so it will be available from the 9th for startups to join.
- Demystifying consumer hardware product development - February 14, 2014
- the First Startup Camp @HeadStart Ventures - July 24, 2010
- My experience of raising an Angel fund. - July 18, 2010
Please upload the details of upcoming events on our campus scheduled in january 2009.
Annual International Management & Cultural Fest – BACKWATERS
http://www.iimkbackwaters.com
TiE Business Plan Competition – WHITE KNIGHT
http://iimkbackwaters.com/whiteknight09.html
BarCamp Kerala 4
http://www.barcampkerala.org
NineSigma is a for-profit organization, while HeadStart Network is a non-profit Section 25 company.
The startup should have its product idea/focus clearly defined, including protecting its IP. The collaboration with industry should help the startup define interfaces, as well as, polish its go-to-market pitch based on the learnings from the collaboration.
Headstart’s initiative is a good one. Both the big guy and the little guy can win. However, the little guy has to be extremely smart and savvy to benefit from the experience.
All the best,
Manju
@Indus:
Yes, connecting the IITs and other institutes would be great. ACM Bangalore is doing that bit by connecting to global Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for some 25 different areas of work. The SIGs have the best of people from all over the world working in very well defined areas. However, the process is slow as with all ACM related matters, there is paper work and approvals from each SIG and the New York based HQ involved. I hope all that will take the shape of some online + offline interactions as well.
@Vijay:
Greatly appreciate your views.
Yes, it is really important for startups to know what they want for themselves. I think that is where we can pitch in and help.
As for work on specific projects, companies will specify narrowly applications that interest them. Issues of IP, etc will come down to project specific agreements. That again will need inputs from us wrt advising startups.
I think the next 6 months should be good learning ground with us mapping application areas to the startup pool we have in India, understanding how things go within companies, etc. Of course, we will draw down on the experience from companies that have or have had such programmes of work.
@Rahul:
Looked at NineSigma, yeah, the concept looks similar, i guess they do it commercially. We are on our hands and feet, somehow balancing needs of our businesses with needs we can fulfil of others.
What is headstart’s differentiation from ninesigma.com?