Corporate Investment in Agile Solutions

By Talia Reynolds

Corporate-startup partnerships serve many purposes, chief among them providing corporations the agility to innovate and develop technologies to complement the work of their own internal R&D departments. Yet, these partnerships are still subject to the independent forces and timelines of the startup ecosystem. Even when collaborating with startups, corporations depend on entrepreneurs to independently identify industry pain points and develop investable solutions. If and when a startup reaches that stage, there is still no guarantee the corporation will discover that startup, much less that it will directly meet the company’s needs. 

To mitigate these challenges, many corporations turn to companies like Axis Innovation which provide curated scouting services to filter through the overwhelming volume of startups and find those that align with their innovation priorities. Others are looking to back innovation ventures and incubators to help shape the direction of startup development and product creation from the beginning. 

Many such corporate-backed innovation labs exist throughout Israel and are supporting startups that are transforming fields from mobility and sustainability to AI and health. One such lab, backed by global pharmaceutical leaders, is home to an impressive startup that is revolutionizing the use of AI to design and refine antibodies in silico for new medicines. Their technology can rescue promising but flawed antibody candidates, predict key developability issues early on, and accelerate the entire process from initial design to large-scale production. One PoC produced in partnership with a leading healthcare company solved a two-year problem in three weeks. 

This startup also presented at Axis Tel Aviv 2025, where it sparked strong interest from investors and corporate partners. While corporate-backed labs play an important role in guiding early-stage innovation, Axis Innovation adds value by opening the door to a much broader pipeline. Our scouting services connect corporations with vetted startups across the entire Israeli ecosystem and beyond, giving partners direct access to the innovators shaping the future of their industries.

For more information on our dealflow services, reach out to eric@axisinnovation.com.