KPN receives recognition for collaboration with startups
In 2021 KPN has once again been one of the most active companies in terms both of innovation and of entering into valuable partnerships with startups and scaleups. This is the fourth time that KPN has been recognized by the international startup community.
When asked about the most active companies in open innovation, several startups nominated KPN. KPN has therefore been proclaimed “Open Innovation Challenger” by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and innovation advisory firm Mind the Bridge.
KPN has been working closely with young, innovative technology companies for many years. On the one hand to discover and utilize its own opportunities for innovation and on the other hand to speed up the growth of those startups. In addition, KPN plays an active role in the startup and scaleup ecosystem by, among other things, organizing events and challenges focusing on networks and sharing innovations.
Almost 300 partnerships between KPN and startups and scaleups have been set up in the past six years. For instance, in the field of 5G and the rollout of fiber, as well as in many other domains.
It generally cuts both ways too, as demonstrated by the partnership with EclecticIQ. For instance, KPN Ventures recently made an investment as a contribution to an investment round, enabling the company to continue its growth. And at the same time, KPN uses the threat intelligence platform to monitor the KPN network, while the EclecticIQ solution is also being applied at customers of KPN.
Another excellent example from the last few months is the partnership between Maya VR and the KPN Mooiste Contactfonds. Maya VR has made its name thanks to the virtual reality goggles that enable elderly people in nursing homes to enjoy a virtual visit to the Rijksmuseum from the comfort of their couch.