“Ignite Ideas” is a Nestlé Hellas initiative aiming to support new ventures (startups) with similar business interests. The initiative is co-organised by the Athens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEin) , the incubation center of the Athens University of Economics and Business. The program aims at developing a (virtual) accelerator of innovative ideas by equipping the participating startups with knowledge, skills, tools and the confidence required to further develop their ideas.
Innovation has been at the heart of Nestlé Group since its beginning. The inventions of Farine Lactée, the first food for infants, by Henri Nestlé in 1867, the “champagne of waters” or the Perrier water that we all know by Sir John Harmsworth in 1903, Nescafé instant coffee by a team of experts in 1929 and Nespresso by Eric Favre, a Nestlé employee back in 1975, are just some of the milestones that prove that behind every bright idea there is an equally bright mind. Today, Nestlé Group steadily invests in Research and Development, nutrition science and passion for quality. Consequently, Nestlé has the world’s largest private food and nutrition research organization, involving about 5000 people located in more than 30 R&D facilities worldwide.
Recognizing the significant presence of innovative ideas in the new Greek entrepreneurship, Nestlé Hellas through its “Ignite Ideas” program is aiming to locate the ideas that have potential for expansion and support them in order to contribute in the productive reconstruction of the country.