July marked one year since Nestlé launched HENRi, an open innovation platform designed to help support start-ups and entrepreneurs in addressing specific business and brand challenges.
Its aim is to revolutionise the nutrition, health and wellness sectors, enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.
Already in the past year, HENRi has attracted submissions from across the world and from a range of high quality start-ups. From assessing and diagnosing micronutrient deficiency to finding a complementary and sustainable material in replacing plastic water bottles, HENRi has attempted to solve some of the most challenging issues facing our society.
Gerardo Mazzeo, global innovation director and CSV nanager, Nestlé, said: “We’re proud of the work we have done so far on open innovation to help change the culture within Nestlé and to enhance our brands and service propositions for the better.
“We have a huge ambition and breadth – looking at business challenges from helping families with portion control and tackling obesity to addressing packaging sustainability within our bottled water business. It’s just the beginning, and I’m looking forward to working with the team at Nestlé and new startups to make a difference on projects that matter.”
Throughout the year HENRi has been in conversation with some of the best startups, presenting a new breed of collaborative innovation that is founded upon mutual value exchange and a genuine peer-to-peer approach.
