The Rockefeller Foundation and InnoCentive Renew Partnership Linking Non-Profit Organizations to World-Class Scientific Thinkers

NEW YORK & WALTHAM, Mass., June 23, 2009 — The Rockefeller Foundation and InnoCentive, Inc., the global open innovation marketplace, today announced the renewal of their successful partnership to link non-profit organizations with InnoCentive’s Web-based global network of “Solvers,” who are more than 175,000 of the brightest minds in science, engineering, technology and business. The partnership, first established in 2006, has been overwhelmingly successful in using InnoCentive’s primarily for-profit “open innovation model” to help non-profit organizations develop solutions for their work on behalf of the world’s most poor and vulnerable populations.

As a result of the partnership, interested non-profit organizations can apply, through the Rockefeller Foundation, to place their organization’s scientific or technological Challenges on InnoCentive’s Website. Solvers from around the globe have the opportunity to submit proposals to solve the Challenge. The non–profit itself will choose the proposal that best fits its needs and a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation will provide the financial award given to the Solver.

“Our partnership with InnoCentive gives non-profit organizations access to some of the world’s brightest problem solvers, enabling researchers and entrepreneurs that address the needs of the developing world to have access to cutting-edge innovation,” said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. “This partnership has already proven successful, resulting in the development and distribution of products that are impacting the lives of the most vulnerable members of the global community. We are thrilled to renew this partnership and look forward to seeing the continued innovation that will grow out of it.”

When first launched, this pioneering effort was the first instance of InnoCentive’s model being used to solve problems faced by poor and vulnerable people in the developing world. The partnership proved to be a successful effort, with 10 Challenges featured on the Website since 2006, and an 80 percent success rate.