Nestle launched Henri@Nestlé in 2016, a digital platform that will allow startups and entrepreneurs to pitch projects to the company in response to "innovation challenges" that Nestlé is looking to solve.
The initiative has received over 400 start-up applications so far and launched 12 Projects to enable Nestlé to improve the environmental impact of its work by partnering with start-ups with ‘tech-for-good solutions’
They are the venture capital and strategic business development arm of Yamaha Motor Company Ltd. The firm seeks to invest in the autonomous and connected vehicle, robotics and industrial automation, internet of things, precision agriculture and personal mobility sectors.
They focus on unique business field such as MOTOBOT using the cutting-edge technology of Silicon Valley, and their speed of business as well as localization is reputed to be same level as start-ups in Silicon Valley.
It is said to be because they established the new organization that can make their own decision based on different rules from those of the head office by thoroughly involving upper-level management team.
Since 1998, Panasonic Venture Group (PVG) has invested in more than thirty companies. Investments are typically in the range of $1 to 3 million, funding proven technology at post-A rounds.
Panasonic established a new company, Panasonic Ventures, LLC, in April 2017. The new venture capital firm will invest in start-up companies mainly in the United States, with initial investments of around $100 million.
They develop a separate decision-making rule for PVG that allows them to make investment without any approval process by head office in Japan, which makes it possible for them to close a deal within just one to three weeks.