An award-winning global specialist adding bandwidth to corporate R&D teams
Each member of the Pilot Lite team has 25+ years of experience in deploying corporate innovation and technologies in the market. Since 2009, we've partnered with Fortune 500/FTSE 100 corporates worldwide, successfully launching over 200 validated ventures, including technologies, businesses, and ESG initiatives.
Who we are
Pilot Lite is the hands-on, trusted venture management partner for corporates in the CPG, food & beverage, and consumer healthcare industries.
On a fee-for-service basis, we help corporate clients identify, de-risk (and share risk), validate, and launch early-stage technology, new ventures, and ESG initiatives across developed and emerging channels and markets.
How we help
Pilot Lite uses our proven, modular, end-to-end venture management process to validate, commercialise, and deploy new corporate ventures and ESG initiatives.
Scouting & Origination
(8-16 weeks)
We provide strategic AI-driven scouting and origination of new business (product / technology or channel) or IP opportunities for future commercialization, focusing on building strategic and sustainable platforms.
The outcome is a set of 5 to 10 tangible investment opportunities that fit our clients' strategic objectives with explicit steps to validate and action the investment and, where the opportunities satisfy our own investment criteria, the potential for direct funding collaboration between Pilot Lite and the client.
Validation
(10-12 weeks)
Our Pilot Lite commercialization team, working with our extensive network of subject matter experts, rigorously validates innovation opportunities through a uniquely commercial lens to assess their 'doability', sustainability and financial viability.
The outcome of this work is an immediately actionable plan to move the opportunity towards implementation and readiness for pilot launch.
Business Readiness
(3-8 months)
Once validated, a period of preparation for launch is required. Pilot Lite’s team takes on accountability for a pilot launch of the opportunity, leveraging our capabilities and methodologies to accelerate and de-risk the opportunity in market. Our team addresses all the core work streams highlighted in Validation, firming up critical planned pathways, raw materials, supply, co-manufacture, sales, logistics and regulatory activities. We initiate and close all contracts in preparation for a green light to launch.
At the end of this stage, the opportunity is ready for an initial pilot launch in market to maximize learning prior to a full scale launch.
Test & Learn to Launch
(3-24 months)
Pilot Lite deployment teams take new ventures into market to actively stress test all aspects of launch, including consumer response, supply chain performance and technology robustness. We directly managing all aspects in preparation for a scaled up effort.
This step de-risks the opportunity and accelerates subsequent scale up into the selected target markets.
Pre-Scale Launch
(6 months) In preparation for mass scale, where our corporate clients leverage their proven muscle to build businesses, Pilot Lite tests all partners' ability to cope with supply chain and geographic expansion. Upon completion of pre-scale, brands and corporates can seamlessly reintegrate the deployed technology or products back into their systems (EAPs, SAPs, etc).
Case studies
Case Study:
Eliminating On-Premise Single-Use Glass Bottles
A global alcohol beverage company engaged Pilot Lite to manage the implementation of ecoSPIRITS™, a low-carbon, low-waste distribution technology for the on-premise consumption of its premium spirits.
Case Study:
From Unproven Tech into UK's #1 Snack Brand
Pilot Lite successfully commercialized a stranded corporate technology, creating a category-busting, award-winning crisp with the lowest fat and salt content in the market.
Case Study:
The world's first truly recyclable paper bottle
Pilot Lite and Diageo collaborated to establish Pulpex, a sustainable packaging technology company that has developed a patented, first-of-its-kind, single-mould paper bottle that is being adopted for use by its global CPG partners.
News
Pilot Lite Sponsors Net Zero Conference
23 February 2024
Pilot Lite is proud to sponsor the Sustainability Live Net Zero conference March 6-7 in London.
Simply Roasted Racks Up More Awards
6 October 2023
Simply Roasted, a Pilot Lite-backed company, has received two more awards for its triple-cooked, never fried, delicious, better-for-you crisps.
Pulpex Awarded Grant Funding From Innovate UK
29 September 2023
Pilot Lite-backed Pulpex, the proven, patented, and scalable packaging technology company, has been awarded grant funding from Innovate UK.
The Simple Root Named Included in Innovation Awards
15 September 2023
Congratulations to The Simple Root, the global, veggie-first plant-based food brand for being named a finalist in three categories of the World Plant-Based Innovation Awards 2023.
About Us
The Pilot Lite team comprises 30 core professionals who combine proven best-of-class corporate, consultancy, and entrepreneurial expertise and a broad pool of over 100 technology, geocentric, financial, and commercial management professionals and subject matter experts worldwide. Our leadership team selects professionals from within this associate network based on the required skill sets and geographic location of the project. These 'boots on the ground' set PIlot Lite apart from other service offerings and are key to the success of our clients' ventures.
Pilot Lite's leadership offers critical skill sets and experience in investment management, business planning, and brand transformation across a wide spectrum of industries. We engage with and challenge our customers’ organizations, which gives us unrivaled access, insight, and relationships.
Meet the team
Contact
If you would like to find out more about Pilot Lite or what we can do for your business, then call or email us and let's start a conversation.