In the exclusive video interview featured below, we dive deep into the groundbreaking Orange x Manual.to collaboration, exploring how corporate-startup partnerships can accelerate innovation through strategic venture client scouting. This compelling discussion, hosted by Novable, reveals the key strategies, challenges, and wins that have defined this transformative partnership.
In the exclusive video interview featured below, we dive deep into the most humane Orange x Manual.to collaboration, exploring how corporate-startup partnerships can accelerate innovation through strategic venture client scouting. This compelling discussion, hosted by Novable, reveals the key strategies, challenges, and wins that have defined this transformative partnership.
Through candid insights shared in the interview, discover how Orange, a leading telecommunications giant, leveraged Manual.to’s innovative knowledge-sharing platform to transform their internal training and customer support. The conversation reveals invaluable lessons for both corporations seeking agile solutions and startups aiming to scale with enterprise clients.
In the interview, we learn that Orange Fab BeLux, part of the global Orange corporate accelerator network, has been a driving force in fostering innovation across Belgium and Luxembourg. With operations spanning over 20 countries worldwide, Orange Fab’s mission is clear: implement win-win partnerships between startups and Orange’s business units to test, validate, and scale cutting-edge solutions.
During the interview, Ariane, Head of Orange FabLux, shared valuable insights about their innovation strategy:
To meet its ambitious goals, Orange Fab needed a partner that could accelerate and refine its scouting process.
As discussed in the interview, each year Orange Fab identifies challenges within its business units and seeks startups capable of addressing them. For this reason, one of the core challenges revolved around technician professional services training and knowledge sharing, a critical area given the rapid pace of technological change in. In the video, Ariane elaborated on their approach.
The search required startups that were:
As revealed in the interview, these requirements placed high pressure on Orange Fab’s internal scouting team, which needed to balance speed, accuracy, and stakeholder expectations.
To address these challenges, Orange partnered with our startup scouting services. By combining AI and expert human search, we provided a tailored list of highly relevant startups that fit Orange Fab’s criteria.
In the video interview, Ariane explained that this process ensured Orange Fab could move quickly from defining the challenge to evaluating potential partners, significantly accelerating the scouting cycle.
Through Novable’s platform, Orange Fab identified Manual.to, a scale-up specializing in simplified knowledge-sharing solutions for frontline workers.
In the video, Manual.to’s CEO, Jorim, shared insights about the impact: described the impact:
“One of the things that we did successfully is pitch the solution and made it very clear… how it can quickly impact their workforce lives and ultimately the business. Because without the business case, innovation is not sustainable.”
By leveraging Novable’s scouting process, Orange Fab:
Pierluigi, Innovation & Startups Manager at Orange, highlighted the importance of this process.
“The goal is to test and validate the solution in the company and have successful talks that can scale within Orange Belgium, but also within the Group Orange.”
“If you combine the agility and the strength of innovation with the magnitude of a player like Orange, that really works miracles.”
“We had a continuous dialogue with the Manual.to team. This has been a real win-win relationship because they have been essential in helping us overcome pain points, while we provided feedback on new features essential for our use cases.”
For Innovation Managers, Open Innovation Directors, and Startup Program Leaders, the Orange Fab story demonstrates how efficient, targeted startup scouting can unlock measurable innovation.
Rather than spending months on manual searches, Orange Fab leveraged Novable’s AI and expert team to:
This approach illustrates how large corporations can de-risk innovation by finding startups that deliver immediate business impact.
From the corporate perspective, Pierluigi emphasized the importance of communication and stakeholder alignment:
“We started by making it clear why we needed a new tool, why Manual.to was the right one and how this will impact the current existing process. Then we invested a lot of time in trainings and for me this was really essential… Moreover, I do believe it’s essential to be surrounded by a very driven and diversified project team.”
From the startup perspective, Jorim stressed enterprise readiness and engagement with end-users:
“Too often, startups focus on deep technology or deep tech that can take years to materialize… What I think we see as a key factor in success in working with these large corporates… show results quickly, make sure it’s easy to understand, scales across the organization and de-risks your innovation as well to a degree.”
He also underlined the bottom-up approach:
“Change can be initiated top down, but the driver needs to be bottom up, the people on the floor. They need to embrace that change. And that’s why engagement really is key… engaging with them, hands-on training, going on sites, hearing from them how they want to use the products, and working collaboratively, co-creatively on making the project a success.”
Orange Fab’s journey with Novable highlights the power of combining corporate innovation strategies with AI-driven scouting and human expertise. The collaboration with Manual.to is a testament to what happens when startups and corporates align on goals, processes, and vision.
As Ariane summarized: “Big companies like Orange could work directly with startups, but success comes faster and with a higher success rate thanks to facilitation and collaboration.”
If your organization is looking to accelerate innovation, identify high-potential startups, and drive real business impact, Novable is here to help.
Book a Discovery Call today to explore how Novable can support your corporate innovation journey.
