Open Innovation startup ecosystem
We track 5 organisations in this sector across 4+ countries.
Showing 5 of 5 Open Innovation
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Open Innovation results
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Beta-i / Lisbon Challenge
Beta-i is a Lisbon-based innovation and acceleration organisation founded in 2009 that runs startup programmes, including its well-known Lisbon Challenge accelerator, and helps corporates innovate through open-innovation initiatives. With a presence spanning Lisbon, Brussels, Boston and Sao Paulo, it has supported thousands of startups across Europe and beyond.
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NUMA
NUMA is a storied name in the Paris startup scene – both an accelerator and an innovation hub that traces its origins to one of Europe’s first startup programs. Established in 2011, NUMA evolved from the famed “Le Camping” accelerator (run out of a historic building on Rue du Caire). As an accelerator, NUMA ran 3- to 6-month cohorts for digital startups, providing mentorship, community events, coworking space, and investor demo days. It was particularly influential in France’s early startup boom – alumni include successes like Dataiku (AI platform) and Algolia (search-as-a-service), which both passed through NUMA’s programs. Over time, NUMA expanded its scope beyond acceleration into corporate innovation. It launched NUMA Consulting to help large companies implement startup methodologies, and also opened international outposts (NUMA Bengaluru in India and NUMA New York were launched around 2015–2016). In Paris, NUMA’s space became an “innovation hub” – a vibrant campus hosting events, hackathons, and innovation programs for corporates and the community. NUMA was notable for being a public-private effort initially, supported by the City of Paris and corporates, which helped ignite the French ecosystem a decade ago. By the late 2010s, NUMA transitioned its accelerator model – focusing more on themed open-innovation programs (e.g. for smart cities or AI) rather than general batches. It also partnered with the European Commission on projects to spur startup-corporate collaborations. Though NUMA (the accelerator) concluded its last batch in late 2019, the brand still persists as a hub and network of innovation spaces. The legacy of NUMA is significant: it helped institutionalize French startup support and proved the value of mentorship-driven acceleration in Europe. In ecosystem terms, NUMA stands as a pioneer whose model of combining startup acceleration with corporate and community innovation has been emulated widely.
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SMAU Milan 2026
Italy's largest innovation and digital business expo at Fieramilanocity, running for over 50 years. Features an Open Innovation Village connecting 200+ startups with corporate partners, workshops on Industry 4.0, and the SMAU Innovation Award. Free entry for registered attendees makes it very accessible.
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Startup OLÉ
Startup OLÉ is a Salamanca-based open-innovation accelerator and event organiser, backed by the University of Salamanca, that runs one of Spain's largest international entrepreneurship gatherings. It connects startups, scaleups, investors, corporates and public institutions through pitch competitions, thematic forums and matchmaking.
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VivaTech Startup Challenges 2026
Challenge-based corporate innovation tracks connected to VivaTech 2026. Deadlines are rolling and usually close between late March and early April 2026 depending on partner challenge. Selected startups can receive exhibition visibility, pilot opportunities, and enterprise integration support.
