With special programs for startup and innovation activities, established companies are trying to establish dynamism and innovation speed—the perceived strengths of many startups—in their own corporate structure. mm1's current Startup and Innovation Monitor shows which programs and funding programs the DAX 30 companies are pursuing.
Digitalization and Industry 4.0 are buzzwords that are making waves even among established companies like the DAX 30. Innovative startups can become serious competitors—driven by entrepreneurial spirit and venture capital, as well as the use of lean and customer-centric development methods such as Lean Startup and Design Thinking.
No existing business and disruptive business models
Unhindered by existing business, startups can also pursue more disruptive business model and product innovations. Established corporations such as BMW, Siemens, and Lufthansa have now also recognized these advantages and strengths and are increasingly relying on programs and funding specifically geared toward startups. The DAX 30 Startup and Innovation Monitor 2019 shows which measures each company is currently pursuing:
Around half of the initiatives are accelerators
The overview shows that around 90 percent of DAX 30 companies have dedicated programs for startup and innovation activities in place. These can be divided into three categories: First, incubators for the rapid launch of new business models. Second, accelerators for the rapid implementation of ideas to market maturity. And third, venture capitalists for purely financial investments in promising startups. The mm1 study shows that around half of the 67 identified DAX 30 startup initiatives are accelerators. The focus of their activities is therefore on accelerating existing product and business ideas.
The programs are organized either as spin-offs or as internal company divisions. In incubators and accelerators, internal funding predominates. Venture capitalists, on the other hand, are usually spun off from the companies in the form of independent venture capital firms (VCs).
