In an effort to get ahead, Coca-Cola is one of the big consumer brands looking to get in on the business incubator game. The Coca-Cola Founders Program not only provides investment opportunities in new, innovative startups, but also gives the brand fresh insight. Companies starting from fresh can offer corporations like Coca-Cola the "creativity, agility and speed to market they lack" according to TechCrunch.
The new program provides budding entrepreneurs funds from $1 to $1 million. They are also offering executive expertise to these new ventures to help them get their creative ideas off the ground. This presents some challenges, as Coca-Cola VP of Innovation David Butler explains, because often large brands don't mix well with small startups. The international program will certainly be an experiment.
Branded Startup Labs
The Coca-Cola Founders Program is a Corporate-Sponsored Business Incubator
Trend Themes
1. Corporate Incubation Programs - Corporate companies are investing in business incubator programs to gain fresh insights and innovative ideas from startups.
2. Startup Funding Opportunities - Corporations are providing funds to startups ranging from $1 to $1 million to support their creative ideas and business ventures.
3. Executive Expertise for Startups - Corporations are offering executive expertise to startups to help them get their creative ideas off the ground.
Industry Implications
1. Beverage Industry - Beverage brands like Coca-Cola are investing in corporate incubation programs to gain innovative strategies to broaden their product line.
2. Consumer Goods Industry - Consumer goods companies are investing in startup funding to support the production of new products and innovative ideas.
3. Business Consulting Industry - Business consulting companies are working with corporations to offer executive expertise to startups to help them achieve their goals and expand their businesses.