KPN for startups and scaleups
Our fruitful collaboration with innovators
We believe in open innovation in order to make a real impact in a rapidly changing world. In cooperation with innovative stakeholders, in order to stay ahead. That’s why we’re creating a fruitful and innovative climate for startups and scaleups. By combining our strengths with those of startups and scaleups, we’re advancing the Netherlands.
KPN is working with diverse startups and scaleups in the field of innovation. Because every day we experience how valuable these collaborations are. For us and our customers. For the innovators, who we help to develop with our expertise and technology. And for society, which is rapidly discovering new solutions that make life smarter, simpler, and better.
Liaison Management: looking for the click
We’re constantly looking for win-win partnerships with startups and scaleups. So, KPN has a special Liaison Management Startups and Scaleups team. A team that makes contact with innovators: startups and scaleups who offer solutions to challenges that KPN is looking for answers to. We work in a demand-driven way and seek the best innovators with whom we can innovate together on specific issues. We share our knowledge of technology, marketing, and sales with these innovators as well as our extensive network of business partners and customers, so that these startups and scaleups can grow quickly. And: with their creativity and boldness we can also improve KPN’s products.
In addition, we invest via KPN Ventures in scaleups that fit with our strategy. KPN Ventures offers these entrepreneurs access to our organization’s expertise and services. And gives them the power to mature quickly.
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Deals with 300 startups and scaleups
As of 2015, KPN has done 300 deals and projects with startups and scaleups. A collaboration with KPN can take the following forms:
Proof of concept at KPN
Does a scaleup match our issues and challenges? Then we start a Proof of Concept: research into whether their solutions work in practice. With clear joint evaluation criteria.
KPN as customer
Does the invented solution work? Then we can work together structurally, with the startup or scaleup as a KPN supplier.
Investing in scale-ups
KPN Ventures invests in strategically related scaleups. You can find the criteria on kpnventures.com
Co-creation
With co-creation, we combine our expertise and technology with that of the startup and scaleup and together we bring a product or service to market.
Distribution
Do the scaleup’s solutions match our own products or services? Then we can offer our KPN channels as a sales channel.
KPN as supplier
For startups, we have a special offer for our business services. For example, we offer them free LoRa-keys, so that they can experiment with our energy-efficient wireless network. And we help them develop their digital security, APIs, and working in the cloud.
Insight into traffic flows
Traffic flows on networks changed drastically as a result of Covid-19. KPN worked together with Benocs to manage traffic optimally and to keep the whole of the Netherlands connected. A solution was applied to gain knowledge about and insight into traffic flows. Think of insights into network management, but also into the optimization of Netflix traffic flows.
Buddies for Rotterdammers
Budgetmaatjes010 helps local Rotterdam residents who are facing financial problems by matching them up with a buddy. A pilot is underway in which 7 KPN employees volunteer to act as an advisor (buddy). A decision will then be taken about whether to roll out the pilot on a larger scale.
Better connection in rural areas
KPN has applied Tessares’s hybrid access solution to help many of our customers in rural areas to achieve a better connection. This solution increases the connectivity in remote locations by combining the communal DSL/HFC network with wireless bands such as 4G and 5G.
See what you can’t hear
Speaksee is a solution that allows KPN employees with hearing issues to participate in meetings. Specifically, the Speaksee technology transcribes live speech into text so that everyone can follow what is being said. The use of colored microphones and displayed text also makes it possible to follow who is saying what.
Startup and Scaleup Events
Where can you meet us?
These are the forthcoming meetings where we’ll be meeting startups and scaleups. Will we see you there?
KPN Partnerworld program
We’ve established KPN Partnerworld to provide practical help to startups and scaleups. A program that comprises elements that are accessible to all interested parties as well as elements that are only available to our collaborating partners or the companies KPN invests in.
Partner network
KPN has an extensive partner network to connect innovative startups and entrepreneurs and to help with expertise, service and financing.
ABN-AMRO, Ace, Accenture, Aexus, AkzoNobel, Albert Heijn, Amazon Web Services, Amsterdam Student Investment Fund, Anwb, AWS, Cambridge Innovation Centre (CIC), Costa, Cottonwood, Deloitte Fast Ventures, DTCP, EIT, Elisa, Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, EY, FinTech & Security, Accelerator, Founders+, Gemeente Rotterdam, Health Innovations, Healthvalley, Innovation Quarter, Intel Capital, Internet of Things Academy, JADS, KEEN Venture Partners, KvPlus, Másmóvil, Matchmaker Ventures, Microsoft, Mind the Bridge, NOS, Orange Digital Ventures, Philips Innovation Awards, PortXL Accelerator, Rockstart Digital Health Accelerator, Rotterdam Venture Café, RTL Ventures, Salesforce, School for Data Science, StartupBootcamp Smart City & Living Accelerator, StartupDelta, Sustainable Healthcare Challenge, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Tekdelta, Telefonica, Telefonica Open Future, Telenor, The Hague Security Delta, The International Investors Network, Tilburg Universiteit, Turkcell, Twente, The Hague Security Delta (HSD), UtrechtInc, VCC, Volta, Wayra, World Startup Factory Connectivity Accelerator en YES!Delft incubator.
Corporate Startup Star
It’s also clear we’re making progress in our collaborations with startups from the fact that KPN has been named 'Corporate Startup Star' for the third time in a row in 2020, which shows recognition from the startup community for the way in which we collaborate with young and innovative European startups and scaleups.
The Corporate Startup Star awards, organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge, aim to recognize the world’s most active corporates in working with startups. Startups have been asked to nominate the most active corporates in open innovation. In total, 25 companies from all over the world have been awarded as Corporate Startup Stars.