A start-up crowdsourcing platform is supporting companies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Toulouse. 13 April 2020.  Airbus BizLab supports start ups against Covid19. The “startupsagainstcorona.com” platform is an online crowdsourcing initiative that is offering practical support to companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Christian Lindener, Global Head of Airbus BizLab, offers insight on the importance of the initiative and why BizLab was eager to get involved, in an official interview through its website.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, start-ups around the world are raising their hands to signal their desire to help. A new online platform created by the venture client service provider 27pilots is harnessing this spirit of solidarity to put it to good use. Specifically, start-ups are signing up to provide companies with practical support to address both small and large problems in a structured manner and via an accelerated timeline. And Airbus BizLab has been invited to get involved.

For Christian Lindener, Global Head of Airbus BizLab, the initiative enables BizLab and Airbus to actively contribute to business continuity and to help large companies to evolve their business models in the face of a global crisis.  By supporting this initiative, BizLab contributes to business continuity and evolving business models. Relevant solutions proposed through this initiative could also be adopted by Airbus.

BizLab is Airbus’ start-up innovation unit, and we were invited to support the initiative as we have a large network of start-ups and alumni who are used to working with large businesses. BizLab is promoting the “startupsagainstcorona.com” platform to encourage participation, and we’re also offering our reputable branding to boost marketing of the platform.

This crowdsourcing platform aims to help reduce the economic impact of the pandemic by enabling start-ups located anywhere in the world to bring solutions quickly and effectively to market. Through the platform, companies can post challenges they’re facing—such as ensuring more stable supply chains or improving workforce planning—due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Start-ups can then post solutions that address the challenges or propose solutions to other challenges. A task force examines the inquiry and the solution, and if there’s a match, the parties are connected.

Lindener feel large companies want to be more agile, think faster and move more quickly. This is where the start-up model comes in: to disrupt large companies. “Currently, we’re experiencing how industry can be disrupted by a biological threat. This initiative invites start-ups to help large companies to deal with the technology and business challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic,” he said.

He informed, “at BizLab, we aim to deliver cost savings and develop new revenue streams by integrating the best of the start-up model into Airbus. By supporting this initiative, BizLab contributes to business continuity and evolving business models. Relevant solutions proposed through this initiative could also be adopted by Airbus. In addition, BizLab has accelerated more than 140 projects worldwide, so our start-ups are capable of proposing practical solutions.”

Number of start-ups involved: 236

Number of countries from which the start-ups originate: 25

Number of companies interested in solutions: 32

Number of communication partners: 13