We asked five questions shaping the future of Open Innovation: where budgets are heading, which tools are gaining traction, how the role of the innovation executive is evolving, how success is measured, and what priorities lie ahead. This report summarizes the key insights from that conversation.
CSS Awards: The Global Benchmark for Corporate-Startup Collaboration
The Corporate Startup Stars (CSS) Awards, organized by Mind the Bridge and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), recognize the world's leading companies driving open innovation through corporate-startup collaboration.
Awards CategorIes
Corporate Startup Stars
The 100 global companies running the world's most effective Open Innovation programs and promoting corporate-startup collaborations.
Special Category Awards
Top performers and trend setters across Venture Client, CVC, Intrapreneurship, Startup Acceleration, Venture Building, Innovation Organization, Diversity, and Sustainability.
Rising Stars
World’s 5 Companies (not included in the Forbes Global 2000 and Fortune Global 500 lists) particularly active in emerging innovation ecosystems that excel in open innovation.
Why it matters
Numbers that define innovation impact
100
+
Corporations
25
+
Countries
6
Continents
10
+
Editions
2025 Awards
Discover the organizations recognized in 2025 for redefining excellence in innovation leadership through bold collaboration with startups and transformative initiatives.
2025 #1 Winner
Orbit Winners
Report: Open Innovation Outlook 2026
Discover the key findings from our exclusive closed-door session with heads of innovation from the world's Top 100 most innovative corporations.
Learn from the best in class
Executive Voices: First-Hand Insights
“…By leveraging its tools, software, and expertise, NVIDIA continues to empower startups, helping them accelerate their growth and reach new heights in the AI landscape.”
Serge Lemonde
Senior Director for Worldwide Startups at NVIDIA
“Sometimes we use the term “innovation” too loosely. We label things as “innovation pipeline” when it’s just a development pipeline.”
Benji Coetzee
Chief Strategy & Development Officer at KPN
“Summarizes the main pillars of what Microsoft is uniquely doing in the promotion of entrepreneurship and startup collaboration…”
Anthony Virapin
Worldwide Leader, Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact at Microsoft
“We are still taking advantage of the C”. Volkswagen Group Innovation plays as an interface between the funds and the business units. The goal is to provide the fund with technical expertise…”
Nikolai Ardey
Executive Director Volkswagen Group Innovation
Methodology
Forbes 2000 and Fortune Global 500 companies are assessed on publicly available information and evaluated by an independent Judging Committee of experts from diverse innovation backgrounds.
Outstanding companies outside the Forbes 2000 and Fortune 500 are recognised through our Rising Star special award.
Results are factored across seven Open Innovation variables:
Innovation Organizational Structure
Intrapreneurship
Accelerator
Venture Builder
Venture Client (Procurement from startups)
CVC (Startup Investments)
M&A (Acquisitions)
