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Why is Unilever seeking to work with
startups?
Ever since our business was
founded in the 1880s, we have been
pioneering. Today, startups are very
much pioneering the future of our lives.
How does Unilever Foundry support
the core business?
The Unilever
Foundry is our platform for startups
and innovators to engage, collaborate
and explore business ideas with
Unilever and our 400+ brands. The
Foundry sits across the organisation to
understand the challenges faced by the
business and identify new technology
and
innovations
that can help
us. Through
scouting for
startups,
we work to
understand
how they
are going
to change
the world
and change
how we do
business.
How does the partnership with
startups bring value to both sides?
Unilever has the size, scale, and leading
brands, while startups have new
technology, agility, and new ways of
working. Unilever Foundry is the bridge
between the startup community and
the corporate community. The best way
to accelerate a startup and support
their success is to become a customer
and work with them to help drive their
business. That is what we do through
the Unilever Foundry.
How does Unilever Foundry engage
with startups?
Unilever Foundry
enables our global brands and
functions to experiment with and pilot
new technologies more efficiently,
effectively, and speedily. It provides
entrepreneurs the opportunity to
develop and work on global projects,
access mentoring from marketing
professionals, and tap into a new source
of funding through Unilever Ventures.
Since its inception three years ago,
we have piloted 109 projects across
various real business challenges. Of
those piloted, 45 have been scaled up –
meaning that they are working with us
in 10 or more countries.
How do Unilever and startups work
together in a physical space?
In
February 2017, we launched our own
co-working space
– LEVEL3 – to
bring the startup
community
into the heart
of Unilever’s
regional
headquarters in
Singapore. We
redesigned an
entire 22,000
SF floor of our
existing office,
creating an
opportunity to
work directly
with the Unilever teams in the building.
As part of the LEVEL3 community,
startups can interact and collaborate
with Unilever to solve business
challenges ranging from marketing
to functions including finance,
logistics, supply chain, and customer
development.
For Unilever though, LEVEL3 is not
about selling a desk. It is offering an
ecosystem for startups to grow by
leveraging the people that are also in
that physical space.
How does Unilever develop a strong
community around the workspace?
We have partnered with Padang &
Co., to run the space so that LEVEL3
provides many opportunities for
startups and brands to meet during
networking events, workshops, training,
and mentoring sessions.
The startups we work with are chosen
for their specialisation within Unilever
Foundry’s key focus areas and LEVEL3
then provides access to Unilever
employees, VCs, thought-leaders,
industry experts, service providers,
and consultants. It’s a very social and
energetic space. Everyone meets over
a cup of coffee to discuss exciting
opportunities for their brands or
talk directly with the startups about
potential briefs and pilots.
LEVEL3 is a unique space because
we are connecting people to create
business opportunities and help
startups understand how large
companies like Unilever work.
Has the LEVEL3 space be successful
so far?
After five months, LEVEL3 has
45 startups with 110 people based
there. It is still the beginning of the
journey and we are experimenting
every day. Unilever
Foundry praises
experimentation
and collaboration,
and at LEVEL3 we
are creating an
opportunity for both
startups and corporate
communities to
innovate side-by-side.
It’s a very exciting
time.
CASE STUDY
Unilever - LEVEL3
Singapore
Barbara Guerpillon, Head of Unilever Foundry SEAA,
in conversation with Rob Parker of Cushman & Wakefield
DISRUPTION
18 The Occupier Edge