GenAI as a co-founder for early-stage business ideas
As grow platform transitions to Bosch Business Innovations effective January 2025, the expanded unit will cover the entire Bosch Innovation Framework (BIF), Bosch’s internal standardized innovation value chain. Therefore, competences in early-stage development as well as in the scaling of new businesses will be integrated. One of the key success factors in this journey is the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into the business validation process, thereby improving the objectivity, efficiency, and scalability of evaluating new business concepts.
A virtual co-founder in the validation process
Mathias Bosch, responsible for the implementation of the early-stage process, likens the technology to a "virtual co-founder." He explains, "Think of GenAI as someone who helps develop the first draft of a business idea, providing all the critical perspectives an investor would need—whether it’s the customer profile, problem definition, or market potential. This approach enables us to refine and validate concepts early on, reducing risk and ensuring that only the most promising ideas move forward."
GenAI plays an essential role in all stages of the business validation process. Initially, it generates a first summary of a business case in form of a written report. This report includes all investment relevant perspectives and serves as preliminary evaluation. The technology aids in drafting a hypothesis-based draft of a comprehensive business model canvas and value proposition, tailored to the identified customer group. Finally, it assists in preparing the validation steps necessary to fully develop the business model as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) externally. Carla-Maria Finck, overseeing the early-stage process together with Mathias adds, "GenAI allows us to validate business potential quickly, resulting in ready-to-go investment opportunities in less than six months.”
Sourcing and streamlining business validation from various sources
Bosch’s research sector, with its long-term technology focus, as well as Bosch business units dedicated to monetizing current market and customer needs, will be a major source for ideas. Here, the team will collaborate closely with business development and engineering teams, domain experts and lead customers. In addition, external resources will be an essential factor in the future. “We will source our ideas from a variety of streams which ensures a diverse innovation pipeline. By leveraging several perspectives, we can continually generate innovative ideas that drive growth and address new market demands.“ says Carla-Maria.
Creating a culture of innovation and ownership
Despite technological advancements, a culture of innovation and ownership forms the baseline for entrepreneurial impact. Mathias highlights one of the most significant learnings from working with grow platform in the past: "The success of our ventures often comes down to the environment of autonomy and venture spirit we create. By empowering teams to take full responsibility for their ideas and encouraging a start-up mindset, we drive innovation and long-term success." Carla-Maria adds “This structured, objective approach democratizes innovation, making it accessible to all idea owners independent of their skill-levels."
A new path forward shaped by continuous learning
As Bosch Business Innovations moves forward, integrating GenAI into the early-stage validation process is a key example of how the new unit is paving the way for bold business ventures. Carsten Tschamber, who is responsible for the transition from grow platform into Bosch Business Innovations, is optimistic about the future: "I believe Bosch Business Innovations will become a powerful tool for Bosch to create highly profitable and sustainable businesses in markets that are currently beyond our reach."
Knowing that there is always more to optimize, he adds, “For me, it was fascinating to see that the "Build – Measure – Learn" approach does not only work for building businesses in individual start-ups, but also when designing an organization and its processes. We started with what you could call a minimum viable organization, work with it, learn and then make the necessary changes and start again. As we applied the process for the first time, we observed our metrics daily. We conducted feedback meetings after each step. These sessions were crucial for collecting input from all stakeholders involved, including team members, idea owners, and external partners.“
For Bosch employees with business ideas that go beyond existing business units, Bosch Business Innovations offers an exciting opportunity
With the support of GenAI and a structured, data-driven approach, innovators can explore new possibilities, validate their ideas quickly, and contribute to Bosch’s future success. As Mathias puts it, "We’re not just shaping the future—we’re building it, one validated idea at a time."
