At the beginning of December, iFood was recognized as one of the most outstanding companies in open innovation alongside startups in Brazil. The company ranked fourth in the Best Corporations for Startups Ranking, promoted by AB Startups (Brazilian Startups Association) and The Bakery.
Every year, this ranking chooses the 20 companies that have the best practices with startups. Its purpose is to recognize the organizations that best promote open innovation to strengthen the startup ecosystem in Brazil.
In 2023, the top three in the ranking were Natura (1), Ambev (2) and Itaú (3), with iFood coming in fourth place, being the Brazilian technology company better placed.
“Partnerships with startups are crucial for innovation and the development of new solutions”, comments Marcos Gurgel, director of innovation at iFood. “Doing business with startups not only generates competitive advantages, but also contributes to the development of the local and global market, strengthening more businesses, generating jobs and driving advances in technology.”
ADA Robot Recognition
iFood was recognized by the case of ADA robot, developed in partnership with Synkar to be an autonomous delivery robot that assists delivery drivers in the last stage of delivery (such as from the entrance of a horizontal condominium to the customer's home). And, of course, it uses artificial intelligence.
“The meaning of this award for us is immeasurable. It represents not only recognition, but also validation of our commitment to bringing innovative solutions to the national market, especially in the field of autonomous robots”, comments Matheus Theodoro, CEO of Synkar.
He explains that, in the Brazilian scenario, where there is a lot of dependence on imported products, this award endorses the potential and quality of Brazilian initiatives. “This achievement, in partnership with the iFood team, is a significant milestone in our journey at Synkar, strengthening us and pushing us to move forward with even more determination.”
In São Paulo, ADA has an average delivery time of just six minutes over distances of up to 1 km, “evidence of speed and efficiency”, according to The Bakery report.
“The ADA robot case shows how partnerships with startups can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and delivery speed”, says Crystian Montandon, specialist in innovation, new businesses and corporate venture capital at iFood.
“The implementation of disruptive initiatives often requires a more abrupt and courageous change, which may encounter greater internal resistance – which was not the case with iFood, known for its boldness, pioneering spirit and culture of small bets, creators of the famous jet ski method ”, points out the ABStartups report.
