The well-known beverage giant, Coca-cola Co has expanded its three year old tech incubator Bridge program. According to this the multinational soft drinks leader has now partnered with Mercedes-Benz, owned German-based Daimler AG, and Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (TWX), in a joint effort to mentor startups in return for early access to new technology. The Coke Bridge program has been working with several research and development (R&D) groups in an effort to bring different players that have common technology interests.
The program is going to going to be active for six months and will have new participants that will range from early stage to growth startups, with software solutions that are ready to be for businesses.
This initiative will be supporting young companies in terms of market training, general mentorship and access to Coke’s corporate sponsors, the startups will be given the opportunity to pilot within Coca-Coca and license products to the beverage maker and its partners.
The participants will be expected to host one of five core themes including Consumer Engagement, Consumer Retail, Supply Chain, Marketing Innovation and Health & Wellness.
Unlike some incubators which entail equity or intellectual property (IP) ownership from the startups, the Bridge program lacks any such requirements, demonstrating Coca-Cola’s commitment to nurturing innovation in the food and beverage industry with the intention of adopting the technology before competitors.