What startups need to know about partnering with corporates

Strategic partnerships between startups and large corporates are a powerful and increasingly necessary lever for achieving alternative protein commercialization. Discover key takeaways for startups looking to form resilient and mutually beneficial partnerships.

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Collaboration offers corporates access to innovation and startups access to resources

By partnering with large companies, startups can gain access to resources, funding, infrastructure, and expertise, while corporates can benefit from innovation, entry into emerging categories, and progress toward sustainability goals. In order to identify best practices, GFI conducted interviews with ten large corporates and alternative protein startups actively engaged in partnerships to uncover what productive relationships look like, how they develop, how to approach them, and what each side is looking to gain.

Key takeaways

Do your homework. Large corporates have specific long-term goals. Before pitching, take the time to understand those goals and where alignment may exist.
Know your options. Understanding the different partnership models can help startups approach corporates with more clarity and confidence.
Be prepared for due diligence. Corporates will thoroughly examine a startup’s technology, economics, and cultural fit before moving forward.
Know your audience. Pitching a corporate differs from pitching a VC. Startups should frame their pitch to corporates around operational fit rather than overselling a novel technology.
Expect different timelines. Some corporates can move slowly at first due to internal approvals, legal reviews, and procurement hurdles. But once a project gains momentum, it often accelerates quickly.
Understand the lifecycle of a partnership. Corporate partnerships typically unfold in stages rather than jumping straight to big contracts, from exploration to testing to commitment.
Don’t overprotect IP too early. Corporates are often unlikely to sign NDAs upfront, so startups should lead with a compelling high-level story that explains their technology without revealing trade secrets.
Negotiate wisely. Partnerships with corporates often involve long negotiations, and startups should protect their independence while still moving deals forward. It may be inadvisable to give up exclusivity, rights of first refusal, or other major concessions without meaningful financial or strategic commitment.
Build deep and broad relationships. Partnership success can often depend as much on mid-level leaders who can champion your solution and navigate internal politics as they do on corporate C-suite members. Strong partnerships require both technical and commercial buy-in, and the final decision-makers may vary depending on the deal.

Every partnership can add value, whether or not it leads to a lasting collaboration. Each experience sharpens your understanding of what makes a partnership work—strengthening your technology, strategy, and relationships along the way.
GOOD FOOD INSTITUTE

Meet the authors

Pat McAuley

STARTUP INNOVATION LEAD, GFI

Pat McAuley works with the Corporate Engagement team, serving as the primary contact for alternative protein entrepreneurs and startups.

Abby Sewell

CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, GFI

Abby serves as GFI’s Corporate Engagement Manager, supporting food manufacturers and other food companies upstream to inspire and accelerate their shift toward alternative protein.

Carlotte Lucas

HEAD OF INDUSTRY, GFI EUROPE

Carlotte supports the food industry to make delicious and affordable plant-based meat available across Europe, and prepare the sector for the arrival of cultivated meat.