Startup Pilot Enablement for Corporate Success
At Plug and Play, we accelerate corporate innovation by facilitating connections with the right startups for your specific challenges. We help enable companies to run fast, structured startup pilots that deliver a proof of concept in weeks, not quarters.
Our industry-specific accelerators and access to over 100,000 startups create networking opportunities within the world’s largest startup ecosystem. The result is strategic partnerships that deliver measurable results quickly.
Make Your Startup Pilot Deliver Business Value
Pilot-Driven Innovation
Best-in-class startup pilot enablement programs are designed as structured, time-bound collaborations where corporations test a startup's solution in a real-world environment before committing to full-scale deployment. A low-stakes validation phase with high-impact potential.
A well-run pilot delivers a proof of concept in weeks, validates ROI, and builds internal buy-in across departments that typically resist change. But the tangible benefits extend beyond the solution itself:
Plug and Play handles both, so that your team can focus on results
In order to achieve these goals, curation and facilitation during the startup pilot program are key: first, a good match between corporation and startup solution; then, the right structure that sets a roadmap for real results.
Our Ecosystem
25+
industry verticals
industry verticals
60+
locations
locations
550+
partners
partners
100K +
future-thinking startups
future-thinking startups
Running Startup Pilots That Scale
Our Process
With 550+ partners and 125+ accelerator programs, we’ve refined the process for startup pilot collaborations. Here’s how it works: you bring us a challenge; we match you with startups from our ecosystem that can solve it. Then, we facilitate the pilot from the first meeting to proof of concept.
Our support adapts to what your pilot needs:
Scoping & Alignment
We work with you to define pilot goals, timeline, legal framework, and success KPIs. We help you engage your internal stakeholders and provide the structure that ensures expectations are kept clear, including a roadmap with milestones and early identification of potential blockers.
Agile PoC Management
We provide support to keep momentum moving, handling weekly check-ins that keep all sides aligned. We track KPIs continuously to report real impact: every success, learning, and challenge gets documented so you know whether the pilot delivers value before committing more resources.
Knowledge & Ventures Expertise
We bring deep expertise to shape the pilot, injecting proven knowledge and solutions that strengthen the partnership and improve outcomes.
See how we connect corporations with over 100K startups across 25+ industries to launch successful startup pilot projects.
You're launching a new product or service, but lack the technology in-house
Building from scratch takes months you don't have, while a pilot lets you test existing solutions.
Your competitors are innovating faster than you can keep up
Pilots are useful because they reduce innovation timelines for those watching the competition move first.
You have an innovation budget but no pipeline of startups to work with
Access to curated startups turns allocated funds into actual progress and a direction to follow.
You want to validate a tech solution before committing big money
Pilots prove what works in your environment, beyond the hype.
Your internal culture feels stuck and you're looking for fresh perspectives
Successful pilots demonstrate what's possible and are thus capable of shifting teams’ mindsets and corporate culture.
You're facing regulatory or compliance changes that require new solutions
Pilots let you test compliant solutions fast, adapting before deadlines arrive.
Your results are declining and incremental changes aren't enough
When small tweaks aren’t fixing it, startup collaboration can bring disruptive approaches that change the game completely.
PepsiCo // Plug and Play
A nine-year partnership evolving from startup introductions to measurable impact. PepsiCo leveraged our ecosystem to extend internal capabilities, with standout pilots in wastewater management with Aquacycl and carbon capture with Carbon Reform.
iGA İstanbul Airport // Hummingdrone
iGA İstanbul Airport, targeting net-zero by 2050, needed inspection tech for a 200 MW solar plant. Plug and Play matched them with Hummingdrone, enabling autonomous solar inspections that improved clarity on efficiency and safety gains.
Mercedes-Benz // STARTUP AUTOBAHN
Founded in 2016 with Plug and Play, STARTUP AUTOBAHN has become a leading mobility innovation ecosystem. 200+ pilots later, it connects global startups and corporates to test and scale technologies shaping the future of mobility.
Startup Pilots That Became Real Deployments
The Ultimate AI Playbook
Download the Free Ebook -> The Ultimate AI Playbook: 10 startup pilot programs that moved from testing to full-scale deployment and delivered measurable ROI inside Plug and Play’s network. Real pilot with startups examples showing how pilots become production-ready solutions.
Learn how enterprises run startup pilots, validate impact, and transition from pilot to full launch with confidence.
FAQs About Running a Pilot With Startups
What is a pilot in a startup?
A pilot is a structured test where a corporation validates a startup's solution in a real-world setting before making a larger commitment. At PNP, we facilitate these collaborations, creating a low-risk environment for corporations to test new technologies and for startups to prove their value. This process helps build internal buy-in for new concepts and technologies.
How to start a startup pilot project?
A successful startup pilot project starts by defining a specific innovation challenge that an organization faces. It should then transition to identify success criteria and secure stakeholder alignment before moving on to connect with the right startup capable of providing a solution to the company’s specific challenge. Innovation platforms and accelerators like Plug and Play act as great allies in moving forward.
What is the difference between pilot and full launch?
A pilot is a limited test to validate a solution, whereas a full launch is a company-wide deployment with a full budget. PNP helps corporations use pilots to "fail fast" on concepts that don't work and scale confidently with those that do. The pilot phase we facilitate is designed to provide the data and validation needed to determine if a full launch makes business sense.
How to run a pilot program?
Running a pilot program successfully comes down to structure and discipline. This then translates into several non-negotiables for real progress: keeping the scope tight; ensuring there are project leaders who move decisions forward and general stakeholder support; tracking progress with clear KPIs; documenting learnings… In the process, innovation facilitators like PNP, which offer structured startup pilot partnerships, are key to helping corporations and startups build successful collaborations.
Is a pilot program worth the investment?
Yes, especially when facilitated by an expert partner like Plug and Play. Pilots cost significantly less than full-scale deployments and are crucial for reducing risk and validating solutions before you commit. The value extends beyond just technology; partnering with us on pilot programs can help reshape your organizational culture, build agility, and keep you at the forefront of innovation.
Plug and Play Around the World
Discover our global locations
We have a community of experts all over the world. We work as a bridge between Silicon Valley and the rest of the world, making innovation open to anyone, anywhere.