Applications are now closed
Sumitomo Corporation has partnered with corporate innovation experts L Marks to create the 0-1 Challenge. The goal of this programme is to bring together colleagues with ideas and capabilities to create new forward-thinking solutions for Sumitomo Corporation. We firmly believe that our people are the most important asset we have. You are the future and the lifeblood of our organisation.
We encourage all employees in the EMEA&CIS region to apply by submitting your innovative new business ideas via the Bridge Portal. Selected teams would have the opportunity to develop their idea over a 16-week period with the help of L Marks and Mentors.
For us to succeed, we aim to build a culture of innovation within the business by encouraging, supporting and promoting the entrepreneurial behaviour of our employees.
“I am pleased to announce the return of the 0-1 Challenge in FY21. This programme is one of the key initiatives in SHIFT 2023 to create next-generation business and encourage an intrapreneurship mindset. I am very much expecting to see diverse ideas coming from across EMEA&CIS region to promote innovation and to create future value for Sumitomo Corporation Group. Together with the General Manager of each region, I will fully support your challenge and active proposals. I am looking forward to seeing your enthusiasm in the programme!”
Iehisa Nakamura
General Manager for EMEA&CIS
July 26th 2021
September 06th 2021
September 20th 2021
October 25th 2021
November 23rd 2021
February 15th 2022
May 02nd 2022
July 26th 2021
Join a intro session with Venture Capital and Angel Investors talking about their experience's and their thoughts on early stage ideas.
Register to join on the Workshops 2021 page at the top of the website.
You will also have a unique opportunity to ask them detailed questions in a later session a few weeks later.
September 06th 2021
Listen to your fellow colleagues from previous 0-1 Challenges and ask them questions on their experiences and learnings!
Register to join on the Workshops 2021 page at the top of the website.
September 20th 2021
You have until 20th of September to submit your idea. After they close, we will invite a few selected teams to Pitch in front of Senior Management.
October 25th 2021
Pitch Day is a virtual event. Prior to the event if selected, you get guidance and help from L Marks on your presentation and pitch skills! You can also watch as an attendee!
November 23rd 2021
Around 5 teams are invited to Programme Live - where you spend 16 weeks testing, validating and developing your idea with Internal/External mentors and L Marks.
February 15th 2022
Mid-point Bootcamp is where all teams get together with the Internal/External mentors and L Marks. You get to present your learnings, challenges, join workshops and network.
May 02nd 2022
At Demo Day you will present what you have been working throughout Programme Live. From that point, we will invite selected teams for a Venture Build programme.
Find what you are looking for here! Click on the links to get to the right page.
By participating in the programme you will gain visibility and status amongst your peers as you are recognised as an innovation champion.
Connect and grow your business idea with the support and knowledge of leading global investors from Venture Capital and independents.
Submit an innovative idea to improve or advance the business and you could have the opportunity to bring your idea to life.
Gain significant exposure to the company senior leadership team as you work on highly visible innovation projects.
Learn and practice new innovation skills, tools and techniques that you will be able to apply in your daily role to make you a “stand out” performer.
Become a member of the cohort to graduate from the intra-lab and gain a certificate in Innovation &
Intrapreneurship.
Have a look at what previous Participants and External Mentors said.
Sharing my personal experiences whilst mentoring teams with their own new ideas is really rewarding. This is made doubly so when delivering it, supported by the L Marks excellent programme delivery models.
Mark Huxley
External Mentor, Advisor & Mentor, Huxley Advisory Limited and Freeman of the Guild of Entrepreneurs
2019 was our first time running the 01Challenge for the EMEACIS region and we were thrilled to see that this programme lit a spark of enthusiasm and excitement in our people. We believe this year it will be better than ever! Even with the current situation we strongly encourage everyone to be involved and take the chance to create, be connected and innovate to make Sumitomo better!
0-1 Challenge Programme Team
Being able to bring my experience from the corporate world to mentor teams in turning their ideas into valid business propositions is extremely exciting and rewarding. I particularly see huge value in harnessing the power of intrapreneurship within corporates.
Adam Lobatto
External Mentor, Group Investments and M&A, International Airlines Group
The whole experience was hugely rewarding. We received really thorough guidance and feedback on the application and support in perfecting our presentation for Pitch Day. After being accepted to the program, we went onto the idea development process which was full of hard but rewarding work, the opportunity to meet some amazing people, work together with the mentors and L Marks. Now, we are a part of the Venture Build program and can say that the whole process has been an amazing journey.
Leo Sakaguchi
Polyglo
My team African e-Health Club learned so much during the programme. How to build a company from scratch, how to test our assumptions about who our customers are and how to create the best product for them. We participated in many workshops here in Africa and London, starting with creativity and innovation, and financial modelling to public speaking with a professional coach. We really recommend this challenging but rewarding journey to all employees of Sumitomo Corporation.
Worlasi Kartey-Attipoe
African E-health Club
L Marks is transforming world-leading organizations and establishing innovation as a key characteristic of their businesses through integrating pioneering technologies and inspiring an entrepreneurial ethos.
Working with some of the worlds’ best-known brands, including BMW, Lloyd’s of London, and Arsenal FC, L Marks is the engine powering innovation programs across various sectors and has launched over 60 initiatives across the UK, Europe, Israel, Japan, and the US.
Founded with an appreciation that collaboration is the accelerant for purposeful change, L Marks is combining expert mentorship, agile methodologies, and a results-driven approach to empower and equip employees to develop new ideas into business solutions, driving a dynamic culture and, ultimately, fueling growth.
Through creating these relationships and experiences, L Marks is sustaining the future longevity of business and making change happen.
L Marks