1.
Bees & Trees
A novel way for large companies and
startups to co-create sustainable innovation
Satu Lähteenoja, Demos Helsinki
Tyyra Linko, University of Helsinki & Demos Helsinki
Mika Kuisma and Armi Temmes, Aalto University
NTNU Sustainability Science Conference
Track D - Business models for sustainability
Session ‘Organizational aspects and motivation’
October 18-20, 2017

2.
Demos Helsinki & Peloton Club
Peer-incubator for startups that
create solutions to wicked
problems and present the new
wave of consumer cleantech.
Independent think-tank and
intermediate organisation for
building the future societies.

3.
Sharing economy
Optimisation
Circular economy
Dematerialisation
DIGITALISATION USER-FOCUS
RESOURCE
SCARCITY
FOCUS ON
CONSUMER
CLEANTECH =
FOOD, HOUSING,
MOBILITY

4.
RESEARCH QUESTION:
How to change traditional industries
with startups?

5.
Bees have solutions, Trees have resources
Innovative
Disruptive
New
business
models
Lack
resources
Lack
customersLack
know-how on
how to scale Traditional
Slow
Incremental
change on
process level
Able to scale
Have
customers
Have
resources
Have the will
to change
BEES TREES
Strong values
Based on e.g. Hockerts & Wüstenhagen (2010)

6.
Bees & Trees in multi-level perspective
Adoption of consumer cleantech solutions to current regimes of
food distribution and built environment through business experiments

7.
Matchmaking
&
Open call for
companies
FACILITATED BUSINESS EXPERIMENTS
2016 Q1/2017 Q2-Q3/2017 Q4/2017
Innovation
Camp 1:
Starting the
partnerships
4 business experiments
Meetings between Bees and Trees,
Meetings facilitated by Demos,
Interviews during summer
Innovation
Camp 2:
Continue and
scale up

8.
Four types of business experiments
Level of
challenge
Time
needed

9.
S Group fighting food waste with ResQ
Inexpensive meals from
restaurants that would
otherwise go to waste

10.
Tree’s experience – S Group
1. First define your target, then search
for a partner
2. Find the right people with open mind
and mandate to make decisions
3. Think about the timing: how does the
solution fit to your goals and
timelines?
4. Create structures that enable lean
startup collaboration

11.
Bee’s experience – ResQ Club
1. Be patient – huge possibilities to
scale, but slow process
2. Startup’s role is to manage
project, because they probably
have more to win
3. Important to learn how a massive
organisation functions
4. Be creative and flexible with ways
to enter the big company

12.
What did we learn
1. There’s huge potential for impact and a lot
of good will
2. The biggest challenges come from
different priority setting and timing
3. Experimenting can be a quick route to
action but you have to find the right people
4. The role of facilitator is crucial in target
and timeline setting

13.
Matchmaking
&
Open call for
companies
BEES & TREES MODEL
Innovation
Camp 1:
Starting the
partnerships
4 business experiments
Meetings between Bee and Tree
Meetings facilitated by Demos
Interviews during summer
Innovation
Camp 2:
Scale up
Manual for Bees and Trees:
How to start collaboration in the field of consumer
cleantech?

14.
Bees and Trees partnership is…
1. Balanced and equal with a partnership mindset
2. Based on trust and benefits both
3. Co-creation: something new is created together
4. Creating impact: new sustainable innovation
5. Strategic, aims to radical change and new business

15.
Thank you!
Satu Lähteenoja
Head of Resource Smart Economy
Demos Helsinki
Twitter: @satulahteenoja
satu.lahteenoja@demoshelsinki.fi
www.demoshelsinki.fi
pelotonclub.me
Tyyra Linko
University of Helsinki / Demos Helsinki
Twitter: @tyyralinko
tyyra.linko@demoshelsinki.fi