Following the third edition of the event “David avec Goliath” organized by RAISE and Bain & Company, let’s have a look at how URW Link collaborates with start-ups.

At national level, the relationship between start-ups and corporate groups is enhancing but remains mitigated

Last November, the event David avec Goliath, launched by RAISE – which has partnered with URW Link since 2015 -, and Bain & Company, took place for the third time.

The survey gives several conclusions:

1/ Business alliances between corporate groups and start-ups have become standard: in 2018, 84% of start-ups surveyed have interacted with corporate groups; whether the latter have the status of investors, partners or mentors.

2/ However, this relationship remains complicated: the Net Promoter Score given by start-ups to corporates is -12 in 2018, partly because corporates are slow by nature, and also because start-ups deem the relationship too imbalanced and complex.

(Cloud of words given by start-ups about corporates, “David avec Goliath” 2018)

Our vision at URW Link: our commitments towards start-ups

In order to face these difficulties and to maximise the value of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield alliances with start-ups, URW Link has set up a number of commitments and a simplified operating mode. What do we offer?

1/ Fast decisions! In a month maximum, a start-up should know whether it will work with us or not. If we do work together, we will use simplified contracts to go faster and will execute a POC in less than 4 months.

2/ A balanced relationship! We do not take advantage of our privileged position: indeed, we commit to pay each POC and do not demand a condition of exclusivity.

3/ A simple promise! Start-ups that benefit from URW Link programme are not mentored, coached or hosted… We offer a POC in one of our shopping centres, and if it is conclusive, the signature of a significant business partnership.

Our work consists in optimising this business relationship, by actively sourcing start-ups we are interested in and making sure they will be in contact with the right interlocutors throughout the collaboration phase.

In order to draw on our experience and expertise, we have co-founded “La Boussole”, along with nine other structures working with start-ups. This initiative aims at gathering start-up acceleration actors in order to grow this activity and at guiding entrepreneurs by offering them a framework of the acceleration programmes available depending on their needs.