Cooperation between start-ups and established companies: Great opportunities, but many hurdles

The global competition for innovation is getting tougher and Germany is in danger of falling behind. A new report by the German Startup Association and the consulting firm Accenture sheds light on cooperation between startups and established companies. The survey of more than 500 companies shows that while both sides see great potential, in practice there is often a lack of processes, speed and mutual understanding. mutual understanding.

Aspirations and reality diverge

Around 90 percent of established companies regard start-ups as important partners for innovation. On the other hand, however, only 11% of startups experience a high level of willingness to cooperate on the part of the established economy, especially in times of economic uncertainty. This shows a clear discrepancy between aspiration and reality.

Collaboration is actually considered a classic win-win situation: startups contribute speed, creativity and digital business models, while large companies offer resources, market access and customer proximity. However, the implementation shows a different picture. For example, 59% of start-ups criticize slow decision-making processes, while almost half criticize the risk aversion of partners. Conversely, many established companies lack experience in dealing with young growth companies and fear uncertainty and loss of control.

Venture clienting as a possible solution

One possible solution to the existing challenges lies in venture clienting. This model enables established companies to use the innovations of start-ups directly as customers instead of committing themselves via traditional investments. This produces faster, practical results and makes collaboration more efficient. Leading companies such as LBBW have already positioned themselves as important beacons and show how the model can be successfully implemented. With their pioneering role, they provide orientation for the entire industry. Not least by regularly reporting on experiences and developments in our venture clienting world report.

Economic downturn increases the pressure

The current economic conditions are increasing the pressure to act. While real GDP per capita in Germany has risen by just four percent in the last ten years, the USA has grown by 17 percent. This is not least due to massive investment in digital technologies. Europe is also lagging behind in future-oriented fields such as artificial intelligence; the USA is now investing around ten times as much in AI as the European continent.

Vision alone is not enough. Tangible results are crucial for companies to be prepared to take risks.

Sebastian Günther, Innovation Lead at Accenture in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Against this backdrop, collaboration between startups and corporates is becoming a key strategic issue. Three out of four scale-ups report that quick results in joint projects are increasingly a priority. Objectives are primarily focused on the development of new products and services or access to new technologies. In contrast, topics such as new forms of work or talent acquisition play a much smaller role.

Choosing a partner remains a major challenge

Despite the fundamentally positive attitude, many established companies find it difficult to identify suitable partners in the startup ecosystem. There are currently around 23,000 startups active in Germany, making it difficult to keep track of them all. Six out of ten companies state that they have difficulties with matching. External intermediaries such as investors, consultancies or universities are therefore often called in. Direct exchange at conferences and industry events, where personal encounters build a bridge between the two sides, remains particularly important.

Start-ups bring speed, creativity and courage - established companies bring resources, experience and access to markets. But if we continue to tread water, we will lose our competitiveness.

Verena Pausder, Chairwoman of the Startup Association

The report

The report clearly shows that collaborations between startups and established companies offer enormous opportunities, but in practice they often fall short of expectations. However, in the face of tougher global competition and a weakening economy, closer cooperation could be decisive for Germany's future viability as a business location. The entire report is available free of charge on the homepage of the Startup Association.