Inside Koch Industries Inc. is a capability the company calls Koch Labs®, a kind of internal entrepreneurial accelerator helping the largest privately held corporation in the country put new ideas to the test.
That includes potential innovations and technologies from companies that Koch invests in, as well as ideas from throughout its existing businesses.
In this exclusive interview, Byron Knight, managing director of Koch Disruptive Technologies, says that Koch Labs®, which you can read much more about here, is itself an idea evolving alongside those it helps put through the paces:
How quickly are new KDT portfolio companies put through Koch Labs®? Is that one of the first steps after an investment?
KDT begins leveraging its Koch Labs® capability with portfolio companies often before an investment is even finalized. Throughout our process of evaluating investments, KDT consults Koch Industries’ knowledge networks across the global enterprise to determine the many ways a new technology could create value within Koch, and what capabilities Koch brings that could support our portfolio companies.
Ultimately, the scope of the Koch Labs® engagements is determined by the portfolio company’s goals and priorities. We strive to support each company in its unique growth mission and overall strategy, so we work closely to ensure they have the resources they need, when they need them as best we can.
