The Missing Piece in Technology Scouting and Open Innovation: Project Management

At the end of one of our recent open innovation projects, the Director of Innovation told us: "It’s amazing that you don’t just scout startups: you also manage the process, push both sides, and make sure innovation actually happens. Our other partners don’t do that."

That comment stuck with us. Because for us, project management isn’t a side benefit, it’s at the heart of how innovation becomes real.

Too often, technology scouting gets reduced to a transaction. A spreadsheet with dozens of startups, a database search, a contact shared. Maybe even a quick introduction to the winning startup. But that’s not innovation. Innovation begins when a startup and a corporation actually find a way to collaborate, and that rarely happens automatically. The gap between the two worlds is wide: one is fast, informal, and constantly iterating; the other is structured, risk-averse, and limited by processes.

Without active management, opportunities die quickly, which is why project management is inseparable from scouting.

For us, scouting is inseparable from managing the relationship that follows. We spend as much time aligning expectations, clarifying misunderstandings, and keeping both sides moving as we do on the actual research phase. We know from experience that even the strongest startup fit can fail without this layer of support.

Take price negotiations. Startups and corporates often come to the table with wildly different expectations. If one side throws out a number that feels ten times higher or lower than the other had in mind, trust can evaporate instantly. By being in the middle, we help both sides ground discussions in market reality so that credibility isn’t lost before the relationship has a chance to grow.

Or consider cultural differences. Israeli startups, for example, are famously casual in business: quick emails, first-name basis, no suit or tie. For some European or Asian corporate partners used to formality, this can come across as unprofessional. We’ve seen how important it is to explain this upfront, so cultural style doesn’t get mistaken for a lack of seriousness.

And then there is timing. Deadlines matter, but different teams move at different speeds. Some corporates are under intense pressure and need quick results, while startups might be stretched thin with product development or fundraising. Other times, startups are ready to move yesterday, while corporates need months of approvals. Managing expectations around timing is not a nice-to-have; it is the difference between a project that reaches the finish line and one that fizzles out.

When we say that project management is part of tech scouting, this is what we mean. It is not just about finding the right startup. It is about staying close enough to the process to make sure innovation sticks. It is about making sure deadlines are met, negotiations don’t collapse, cultural gaps don’t derail first impressions, and both sides feel they are moving together. Without this push, scouting becomes a list. With it, scouting becomes transformation.

At Tech It Forward, this belief has shaped the way we work since the beginning. We see ourselves not just as scouts, but as facilitators of innovation, making sure that integration, commercialization, investment, or M&A don’t remain abstract goals but turn into real outcomes.

Innovation doesn’t happen because names are exchanged. It happens when someone is there to keep both sides aligned, motivated, and moving forward. That’s why we believe project management isn’t an add-on. It’s the missing piece of open innovation. Want to chat with us? contact@techitforward.com.