Open innovation and venture capital Getting new ideas off the ground
In March 2017, Matternet became the first company in the world to receive authorization for full operation of drone logistics networks over densely populated areas in Switzerland – thanks to the collaboration with Swiss Post and the open innovation initiative.
Throughout Swiss Post’s history, the company has reinvented itself again and again, as illustrated by the evolution in the transport we use – from the mail coach through to diesel, and finally, hybrid and electric buses. «Identifying, testing and introducing technological innovations is part of Swiss Post’s DNA.»
I. Collaboration
Do you have an exciting idea or project?
We can help you develop it into a prototype via our (stage-gate) innovation process, through which we offer financing of up to CHF 50,000 for the initial phase of the project.
Do you have an attractive start-up?
You can demonstrate your solution internally, e.g. at a start-up pitching day, where you will find opportunities to collaborate with our business units and receive helpful feedback.
A different form of collaboration with us
Start-up pitches
On pitching days, selected start-ups present their business ideas to Swiss Post’s specialists. For each start-up, a short presentation is followed by an open discussion. This enables participants to offer a great deal of input in a short space of time and facilitates the evaluation and launch of joint projects.
Guided innovation and use case workshops
Through our co-creation approach, we work with our partners to develop potential fields of innovation and concrete use cases within these fields. We also analyze market and execution potential within this guided format.
Our use case workshops are the perfect springboard for launching your project with us and making the leap into Swiss Post’s yellow world!
Some of our most successful projects
Matternet
Swiss Post wants to be at the forefront of helping shape drone technology and delivery robots, and to identify at an early stage where it could improve efficiency by integrating these initiatives into its processes. Matternet was discovered by our teams during a pitching session in Silicon Valley. Together, we launched the first urban drone logistics network in the world.
Profital
The Swiss Post venture Profital is a platform which offers digital brochures to its customers. Profital is the result of our targeted innovation initiative in Berlin (e.g. Swiss Innovation Outpost) and the cooperation between Swiss Post and German group Offerista.
modum
Swiss Post works with modum to deliver an industry-leading, temperature-monitoring solution that enables regulatory compliance for shipments containing medicinal and other temperature-sensitive products.
II. Venture capital investment
The nature of our investment in start-ups
Swiss Post invests in early-stage companies that fit well with the Group’s business development areas and offer potential for Swiss Post’s core competencies to make a significant contribution to their success. In return, Swiss Post aims for a minority interest. This ensures that the start-up is agile and autonomous as it develops and goes to market.
- Stage: seed and series A financing round
- First investment ticket size from CHF 500,000 to CHF 1 million
- Lean and fast investment decision process
- Active business development activities for our portfolio companies
- International focus
III. Partner network
Start-ups, universities, state institutions, international postal companies and corporate groups: Swiss Post works in a targeted manner to maintain a network of external innovation partners. A good example of this is the mobility lab in Sion: the joint project between the city of Sion, the Canton of Valais, the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne), HES-SO (the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland) and Swiss Post has rapidly developed into a testing environment for mobility-related innovations.
All participants benefit from the networking opportunities – including Swiss Post’s Group units. We provide advice and support on innovation projects with external partners. We develop the ideas, evaluate their business potential with the Group units and define an appropriate strategy together. EPFL, ETHZ, the Swiss Innovation Outpost Berlin and ActionJam are other important partners/platforms that we manage for the Group.
We are particularly interested in start-ups and Group-wide initiatives. We also always seek cooperation with external partners when it comes to very advanced projects or other specific issues.
Innovation areas
Swiss Post has locations in 24 countries and employs a total of 62,000 staff members, 8,000 of whom are based outside Switzerland. It operates in the communication, logistics, financial services and passenger transport markets.
Swiss Post in numbers: Key figures
The Group is already working on solutions for tomorrow’s markets and for a modern universal service. To this end, it focuses on seven business developments areas: e-commerce, mobility, digital financial services, digital trust, cross-channel communication, BPO (business process outsourcing), and sales and solutions.
Our collaboration with Swiss Post is the starting point for demonstrating our solutions efficacy over conventional offerings in the market. Their team and the open innovation programme have been a fantastic resource for helping us to refine our technology into a reliable, scalable, easy-to-integrate solution that intelligently leverages blockchain and IoT technology.
Contact
Do you have any questions about Swiss Post’s innovations, or would you like to become an innovation partner? Are you interested in Swiss Post as an investor? Do you have any questions about start-up investments? If so, contact us. We would be happy to help.
Swiss Post
«Development & Innovation» unit
Wankdorfallee 4
3030 Berne
Switzerland
innovation@post.ch