Latest joint report discovered a new reality where the world’s biggest corporations are not as ‘lost’ as people think they are.
INSEAD, the business school for the world, and 500 Startups, a global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley, today jointly announced the release of a new report, ‘#500 Corporations: How do the World’s Biggest Companies Deal with the Startup Revolution?’. The study, co-authored by INSEAD Professor of Global Technology and Innovation Serguei Netessine and Arnaud Bonzom, Director of Corporate Innovation at 500 Startups, focuses on corporate innovation by investigating 500 of the world’s biggest public companies and their practices in terms of Corporate Startup Engagement (CSE).
In the ever-changing business landscape, companies across industries have been challenged by startups. Not only can technology companies be disrupted by a small team of engineers in a garage, the startup phenomenon is also affecting banking, automotive, logistics and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries. To the world, established corporations seem to be adapting slowly, or are they? This report explores the extent to which that is true, and uncovers new ways corporations can engage startups for business excellence.
Some key findings from the report
- 68% of the top 100 companies from the Forbes Global 500 are engaging with startups.
- The majority (61.7%) of the Unicorns (private companies valued at US$1 billion or more) mentioned by The Wall Street Journal under The Billion Dollar Startups Club have raised funds from at least one corporate (not including investment firms and banks).
- The top 100 companies are working with startups two times more intensely than the last 100 companies of the Forbes Global 500.
Discover 8 clear ways to engage with startups
The report’s Swiss Army Knife of Corporate Startup Engagement (CSE):

Who the report is for
- Corporations exploring ways to engage with startups.
- Corporations looking to benchmark their practices.
- Individuals working in corporations who want to get buy in from colleagues to embark on a CSE program.
What it isn’t for
- How to setup an accelerator or a corporate venture arm.
- A prescriptive guide for corporations, every corporation has different attitudes and objectives.
- Printing out many copies. Feel free to share the PDF and save some trees!
Useful links
- #500 Corporations: How do the World’s Biggest Companies Deal with the Startup Revolution? to discover the most relevant channels to engage with startups.
- http://698640.hs-sites.com/500corporations
About 500 Startups
500 Startups is a global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley with ~$200M in assets under management. We have invested in a wide variety of technology startups all over the world, currently over 1,400 companies since our inception in 2010. Our team of 100 people manage seed investments in 18 countries and speak over 20 languages. We run accelerator programs in San Francisco & Silicon Valley 4x per year emphasizing internet marketing and customer acquisition, design and user experience, and lean startup practices and metrics. Our Distro team and programs deliver growth marketing and investment for seed-stage companies. Our investment team and mentor network has operational experience at companies such as PayPal, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and Apple.
Contacts for press:
Worldwide
Kelsey Cullen
Tel: +1 650 438 1063
Email: [email protected]