On October 23, La French Tech Shanghai hosted its latest FrenchTechSH Connect at Must Grill, bringing together founders, corporate innovators, and ecosystem partners for an evening dedicated to one of the most essential questions in today’s business world: how startups and corporations can collaborate successfully?
The evening began with an exciting announcement: the launch of La French Tech Shanghai’s upcoming Hackathon, set for mid-January. The event will unite creative minds from across Shanghai to tackle real-world challenges through AI and innovation, setting the tone for an evening focused on collaboration and impact.
The keynote was delivered by Stéphane Vernède, CEO and Founder of Enwise, a startup that transforms industrial waste into clean energy through on-site green power plants. Drawing on his experience building partnerships with leading global brands, Stéphane guided the audience through the realities of working across the startup-corporate divide, from opportunity to delivery.
Two Sides, One Challenge
The discussion began with a simple but powerful question: Why would a corporation work with a startup, and why would a startup work with a corporation?
For corporates, the motivation is clear: innovation that is faster, cheaper, and more adaptable.
For startups, collaboration opens doors to new markets, industry standards, and validation from established players. But as Stéphane reminded the audience, partnership only works when both sides can truly deliver. It is not just about signing a deal; it is about living up to the promise.
He outlined the key challenges startups face: ensuring reliable delivery, maintaining after-sales service, and proving that their technology can scale. For corporates, the difficulty lies in navigating their own internal complexity, identifying the right champions, aligning departments, and committing resources to move from pilot projects to real adoption.
From Visionaries to Execution
One of the evening’s most insightful moments came when Stéphane broke down the corporate innovation ecosystem into three key groups: innovators, visionaries, and the early majority.
Innovators are the technical problem-solvers who thrive on experimentation. Visionaries are the strategic thinkers who see how new ideas can reshape business models and markets. The early majority are the pragmatic operators who look for solutions that work reliably at scale.Stéphane explained that successful partnerships must navigate all three. A startup first wins over innovators with strong technical proof points. It then convinces visionaries by demonstrating strategic impact and secures adoption by meeting the early majority’s performance metrics and reliability standards. When the early majority becomes your advocate, a pilot turns into a standard. But without innovators, a startup risks becoming obsolete before it even begins.
The graph Stéphane presented captured this dynamic perfectly. For him, it is a map showing how to move from initial excitement to sustained execution, from buzz to boardroom.
Lessons from Enwise
Drawing from Enwise’s own journey, Stéphane explained that the real key to working with corporates lies in finding your innovators and earning their trust early. These are the people who love testing new technologies and are eager to experiment. By giving them access to prototypes, listening to their feedback, and showing that you understand their key performance indicators, startups can build deep credibility inside an organization. As he described, when innovators feel that you are the best partner for their niche, they become internal champions who drive projects forward and secure the resources needed to scale. This is exactly how Enwise succeeded in powering entire industrial production lines with biomethane generated from organic waste.
Community and Connection
After the talk, the discussion continued over dinner and drinks in a lively and engaging atmosphere. Founders, corporate representatives, and students stayed to exchange experiences, ask questions, and explore potential collaborations. The interaction was dynamic, with participants eager to discuss everything from the life of an entrepreneur to product delivery and scaling strategies.
The room was buzzing with energy, and many new faces joined the conversation, showing the growing reach of La French Tech Shanghai’s community. As one participant noted, it was rare to hear such a concrete and honest perspective on how startups and corporates can truly work together.
Looking Ahead
FrenchTechSH Connect continues to be where ideas meet action, offering an open space for dialogue between entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders.
La French Tech Shanghai warmly thanks Stéphane Vernède and Enwise for their openness and insights, and all participants for contributing to such a dynamic evening. Stay tuned for our next FrenchTechSH Connect in November, as we continue to build bridges between innovation, sustainability, and community in Shanghai’s vibrant tech ecosystem.
–La French Tech Shanghai Team-
