Consolidating a company in the market requires planning, patience and investments to overcome the phase known as “Valley of Death”, which corresponds to the period before a business reaches its break even point, or break-even point. Therefore, it is essential that entrepreneurs are attentive and observe market trends, innovations and opportunities.
One study by Fundação Dom Cabral showed that 25% of Brazilian startups close their activities in less than a year of existence — and 50% in up to 4 years. Being part of an ecosystem, through accelerators, incubators or technology parks, is a determining factor for the survival of these new businesses.
To help with this entrepreneurial journey, below we present some advantages of being part of the iFood ecosystem. Among them are the aggregation of value and knowledge for startups regarding various services, products and intrinsic activities of the company. supply chain.
This alone would be a great benefit for startups, but there are at least four other advantages of participating in the iFood ecosystem. Check out:
Market expansion
Participate in a project Open Innovation with iFood it brings visibility and opportunities to expand business. The startup will be inserted into the iFood ecosystem, which has a large supply chain, and you will have the chance to connect with distributors, suppliers, consumers and manufacturers.
In addition to delivery of food, iFood already works with supermarkets, pet shops, pharmacies and tests B2B delivery models. In other words, a solution can make a difference for more than 300 thousand establishments and reach 1,700 Brazilian cities.
Possibility to test your solutions
If your startup already has an MVP (Minimum Viable Product or, in Portuguese, “minimum viable product”) with validated basic functionalities, in the iFood ecosystem you will have the opportunity to test and apply it. The objective is to improve solutions, implement them and add value, testing them inside and outside the home.
Entrepreneurs also learn to follow methods and have commitment and focus to co-create new products and services, analyzing the competition and observing trends.
Investments
iFood plays an important role in accelerating new businesses that have their potential recognized. Since May 2021, iFood Labs has made more than 470 connections between startups and investors, hubs, accelerators and universities. It has also carried out 48 tests, generated 30 new businesses and made 7 investments.
One of the most recent investments, for example, was in the startup Write it down, which automates restaurant orders using artificial intelligence in messaging apps. With iFood's investment, the startup increased its customer base from 6 thousand to 20 thousand, in addition to expanding its workforce by 25%.
Connections and opportunities
To establish relationship with startups It is already an iFood Labs brand and everyone involved wins, as they learn from each other. This movement offers the opportunity for companies to review their own practices to continually evolve.
iFood partnerships are also important for both the startup development how to improve the experience of the public and all suppliers involved in this chain. These are connections and investments in AI, systems, delivery and delivery solutions, among others.
iFood: be part of the ecosystem
Now that you know the main advantages of the iFood ecosystem, come and be part of it. To access opportunities and highlight your company in this innovation hub for the supply chain, you can send a pitch to iFood Labs.
iFood Labs seeks Logistics solutions, Retail, Martechs, Foodtechs and more. Partnerships for the use of ADA Robot in shopping malls, drone deliveries and the popularization of Electric motorcycle are on the list of iFood partnerships that worked.
Who knows, maybe your solution will be the next one to become part of our daily lives? Register your innovation on our page!
