Nestlé boosts African start-up scene: R&D innovation challenge aims to turn “ideas into reality”

28 May 2019 --- Nestlé has started a Research and Development (R&D) innovation challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the company’s efforts to contribute to the local innovation ecosystem. The challenge will help boost local entrepreneurship, as well as provide a platform for start-ups and universities to contribute to local sustainable growth by bringing breakthrough ideas to the market.

The R&D innovation challenge, which has started in Ghana, will also take place in Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. The goal is to work collaboratively with start-ups and universities to identify sustainable and scalable science and technology solutions that help accelerate the innovation of products that meet local consumer needs. 

It calls for novel solutions across four key areas: environmentally-friendly packaging solutions, sustainable cocoa plantlets, affordable nutrition and new routes to market.

“There is a growing number of Africa-based entrepreneurs and local researchers with creative ideas to address issues facing their communities. This R&D innovation challenge presents for our company an opportunity to leverage creativity while helping to turn the most promising ideas into reality,” says Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer.

Nestlé has partnered with Kinaya Ventures as part of the Spring Fellowship Program, which is designed to accelerate corporate start-up partnerships and catalyze digital entrepreneurship. The challenge also calls upon universities in Central and West African countries to submit solutions.

The selected teams will enter an accelerator program to help advance and potentially commercialize their ideas. During the accelerator, the start-up and university teams will have access to Nestlé’s R&D expertise and infrastructure at the R&D Centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, including shared labs, kitchens and pilot-testing equipment. At the end of the program, teams will have the opportunity to pitch their proof of concept to Nestlé management.

The R&D innovation challenge is part of Nestlé’s Global Youth Initiative, which aims to help 10 million young people around the world have access to economic opportunities by 2030. This supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

This launch closely follows Nestlé’s launch, last month, of its R&D Accelerator in Lausanne, Switzerland, which brings together scientists, students and start-ups to advance science and technology. The aim is to speed up the development of innovative products and for pioneers to tap into the systems and leverage the food and nutrition expertise of such a giant as Nestlé. In this way, the conglomerate hones in on taking entrepreneurial creativity and transforming it into tangible prototypes and products.

Last year, Nestlé also partnered with Ashoka and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to create the Social Investment Accelerator, which accelerates social entrepreneurship and boosts the economic development of Africa.

There is a growing trend toward big businesses collaborating with start-ups continues to gain traction within the food-tech space. Mutually beneficial collaborations are the order of the day as more and bigger players collaborate with start-ups to seek sustainable food and beverage solutions. 

As one of the world’s largest private food and nutrition research organizations, Nestlé emphasizes that it has “nutrition at its core”, and is committed to contributing to a healthier future. 

Accelerating innovations: Start-up competitions are trending
Start-up competitions are increasingly proving a good way to speed up innovation and promote entrepreneurial talent. With innovation and, of course, profit in mind, many industry-leading companies have launched funding programs to support start-up innovation.

The SEEDS of CHANGE Accelerator program, named after the Mars Food organic seed and food brand, is selecting six US and four Australian participants in the following areas: start-up food brands, innovative experiential offerings, new business models and emerging technology. PepsiCo last year launched the Nutrition Greenhouse accelerator program in North America, an innovation initiative designed to discover and support emerging brands in the food and beverage sector.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients (FCI) runs the Milkubator program, which seeks to stimulate innovation on the dairy supply front, while Swiss-headquartered flavor giant Givaudan revealed plans to open a new innovation platform for the food industry. Coined MISTA, the new platform seeks to help start-ups and established corporations to optimize ideas and products, scale-up projects, search for partners and build dynamic teams to meet the constant challenges of the food industry. 

By Gaynor Selby