Creating agility and opportunity with Sodexo accelerators

Surges in creativity result from the pressure and constraints of a world in crisis. For example, in the midst of the 2008 US recession WhatsApp, Venmo, Uber, Instagram, and Pinterest were all founded, and are now billion dollar companies just 12 years later. Here is one story of how Sodexo invests in innovation, and then goes even further to support and incubate innovators in the service sector.

Magnus Löfsjögård
Digital Innovator and Intrapreneur at Sodexo

I’ve been told before that I have “the best job in the world” and I tend to agree. As a Digital Innovation “Intrapreneur” at Sodexo, I get to be creative, use the latest technologies, and turn innovative ideas into tangible benefits and solutions. No two days are alike!

In 2010, I started at Sodexo in Service Management and Business Development, working with Sales teams to develop innovative solutions for integrated services. I got to hone my strengths: pragmatism, logic, daring. I learned to love a challenge and relish in the impacts of the accomplishments.

When Sparx Took Fire

The idea for the Sparx Accelerator came to me one day about two years ago. I’d been noticing a lot of great ideas bubbling in the Stockholm startup community. Some of these ideas looked like they would make great additions to Sodexo’s business to improve the quality of life.

I had seen that many startups really valued working with large corporations to test their ideas, validate concepts or even pivot if necessary. And large partners were invaluable to help them find their path and scale. I also knew that co-operating with startups would help our customers access new ideas and innovations. I wanted to find a way to foster more collaborations between Sodexo and startups.  But how?

To make things happen, I took an intrapreneurial approach. I came up with a simple idea: create an accelerator with a low barrier of entry to make working with the most innovative startups as easy as possible. Indeed, even when we bump into companies that aren’t a perfect fit, we should still be able to test ideas and learn from each other.

I took the idea to my superior, Peter Mellin VP Service Operations Nordics, on a Monday afternoon. We met with the Nordic’s CEO on Tuesday morning, and later that afternoon, the Sparx Accelerator program was approved! We decided to act on an innovative idea, because the risks were worth the potential rewards. That’s why I see Sparx as a kind of startup in itself.

The Elevator Pitch

The setup of the Sparx Accelerator program is quite simple. In short, each startup follows their unique business track to test and validate their innovation and business with Sodexo and our customers. During the 3-month program we coach the startups in value proposition, sales, business model and investment. The secret sauce of Sparx is the combination of real-life testing and coaching sessions.

Starting up the first batch of startups, we focused strongly on face-to-face meetings. We were really hands-on, and perhaps a little resource-intensive at the beginning. By treating Sparx as a startup the program has evolved, become increasingly sharp, precise, digital – and scalable!

We’re now on our third batch of startups, and the program has become increasingly virtual and we see our Sparx startups going beyond the Nordics region, and into the UK for example. It’s not about where a startup is located, it’s about the services it offers and how they help our customers.

So far, we have accelerated 12 companies in the Sparx program, and the experience is always win-win on both sides. We get new ideas while also contributing to the development of companies with great innovations. Best of all, our clients love it. Our savvy clients see how quickly customer and employee expectations change and evolve, and these new tools allow them to adapt.

The mega trend in the startup community is sustainability where ‘impact-tech’ startups are booming. We saw this trend early and with Sparx we have been able to accelerate quite a few startups focused on sustainability, like Klimato. This really fits perfectly with Sodexo global ambition to optimize our use of resources and create new types of ecosystems.

Magnus Löfsjögård
Digital Innovator and Intrapreneur at Sodexo

Magnus joined Sodexo in 2010 and since 2016, has held the position of Head of Digital Innovation & Sparx Accelerator in the Nordics. Located in Stockholm, one of the top innovative cities in the world, Magnus has established a lean and output-focused platform for driving digital innovations powered by a true startup and digital mindset. Magnus is a true believer in open data and information to empower businesses and users. Before joining Sodexo, Magnus was the co-founder and partner of a Nordic consulting firm and has held management consulting positions within technology companies like Nasdaq OMX and Lawson.

The Sodexo Accelerators enhance collaboration between Sodexo and local start-ups across the globe to combine Sodexo’s decades of industry knowledge and global footprint with the agility and creativity of startups.  The Accelerators program builds win-win partnerships, opening the doors to new opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs while identify leading-edge solutions that meet local needs while also scalable to impact our business globally.  

Find out more about Sodexo Accelerators