Past edition

2025 Corporate Startup Stars

The 2025 edition celebrates the companies and innovation leaders redefining corporate-startup collaboration through bold, global open innovation initiatives.

Recognizing outstanding organizations driving transformative innovation, fostering strategic partnerships and shaping the future of corporate-startup collaboration worldwide.

Corporate Startup Stars 2025 Agenda

Mayer Brown, 10 avenue Hoche 75008 Paris

 

December 1st 2025

 

18:00-22:30 CET

CSS & SES Networking Cocktail Reception

Hosted by


(event by invitation only)

ICC Headquarters, 33-43 avenue du Président Wilson, Paris

December 2nd 2025

 

10:00-12:30 CET

High Level Open Innovation Workshop

  • Opening: Process, Goals, Expectations
  • Presentation of Mind the Bridge 2025 CSS Report
  • Moderated Group Table Discussion among Corporate Innovation Leaders

(closed door session, by invitation only, run under Chatham House rule)
12:00-14:30 CET

Gala Lunch and CSS Award Ceremony

  • Opening Remarks
    Julian Kassum, Deputy Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce
    Candace Johnson, Chair, SES/CSS Judging Committee
    Alberto Onetti, Chairman, Mind the Bridge
    Marco Marinucci, CEO, Mind the Bridge

Keynote Address: The European Corporate Network  in the context of the EU Startups & Scaleups Strategy

  • Anna Krzyzanowska, Adviser of the Taskforce on Startups & Scaleups, Directorate General for Research & Innovation, European Commission

 

Presentation of Awards for Corporate Startup Stars 2025

 

  • Passing the CSS Torch
    Serge Lemonde, Startups Dev program, Senior Director, World Wide at NVIDIA

 

  • Presentation of Awards for Corporate Startup Stars and Rising Stars 2025

 

  • Presentation of “Most Active Startup Collaborator” 2025 Awards (by Glassdollar)

 

  • Photoshoot and Video Recording with CSS Awardees

Close door events restricted to invited participants

2025 Corporate Startup Star

Winner Orbit

2025 Pictures

Corporate Startup Stars | Paris 2025

2025 Corporate Startup Stars

Special Category Awards

2025 Rising Stars

Evolve or be Extinct

In December 2025, in Paris, during the closed-door session of the 10th edition of the Corporate Startup Stars Award – organized by Mind the Bridge in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce – we had the opportunity of engaging with heads of innovation from several of the world’s Top 100 most innovative corporations.

We asked five core questions:

How much?
How do you expect Open Innovation budgets to evolve in 2026? Up or down?

Where?
Which areas and tools of Open Innovation are gaining momentum?

Who?
How is the role of the Open Innovation executive evolving beyond “innovation” per se?

How?
Which KPIs are used to measure success and impact?

What?
What are the main priorities – and key challenges – looking ahead?

The session provided a valuable opportunity to exchange insights, assess which Open Innovation tools have proven effective in practice, and explore priorities and plans looking ahead.

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