CLIENT STORY
Faster Calls, Smarter Decisions: How Lux Cuts Braskem’s Evaluation Time in Half
By embedding Lux into its open innovation workflows, Braskem accelerated technology evaluation, identified strategic opportunities with greater clarity, and strengthened startup engagement — all while preserving its credibility and freeing up internal resources.
Client Challenge
Despite its technical strength, Braskem’s innovation team needed to scale its ability to vet emerging technologies — and do so quickly. With limited time, headcount, and increasing pressure to focus only on the most viable opportunities, the team turned to Lux to:
Accelerate Technology Scouting and Enrichment
Evaluating new startups or technologies through internal desktop research can take many hours. Glenn needed a way to compress that early assessment stage without sacrificing rigor.
Engage Startups Strategically
Scouting too broadly risked creating false hope in the ecosystem. Braskem wanted to focus only on qualified, high-potential startups.
Extend Internal Expertise without hiring
Braskem needed trusted expert input across multiple domains — without adding FTEs or pausing progress.
Validate Opportunities With An Unbiased Lens
Internal projects often carry bias. Braskem needed an external voice to challenge assumptions and help say no when needed.
About Braskem
Braskem is a leading petrochemical company in the Americas and a global pioneer in bio-based plastics. With strong operations across North and South America, it develops sustainable chemical solutions for packaging, automotive, and consumer goods, while advancing biopolymers, carbon reduction, and materials innovation.
As Open Innovation leader, Mauro Oviedo drives Braskem’s partnerships by scouting emerging technologies, evaluating startups, and supporting projects in biomass conversion, CO₂ utilization, and chemical recycling — accelerating the company’s path to sustainable solutions.
Mauro Oviedo
Open Innovation
Our Approach
Braskem integrates Lux Research into multiple layers of its open innovation and technology evaluation workflows — accelerating early-stage decision-making while protecting internal resources and external credibility.
Faster Scouting and Enrichment
With Lux’s startup scorecards, expert calls, and curated platforms, Braskem reduced time-to-decision from 2-3 months to 1 — helping the team evaluate more opportunities with less internal lift.
Unbiased Validation of Risk and Potential
Lux helped Braskem evaluate technologies and ideas with an external lens — surfacing concerns around scalability, investment needs, or IP gaps that internal champions may have overlooked.
Targeted Startup Engagement
By identifying only the most promising startups, Lux helped Braskem avoid speculative outreach — preserving its reputation as a credible, high-intent partner.
Easy Access to Expertise
From CO₂-to-chemicals to fermentation platforms, Braskem engaged with Lux analysts across global offices for real-time insights — reducing reliance on overburdened internal teams.
“You don’t need to talk to 10 startups — maybe just two. That’s better, because when a company like Braskem shows interest, it creates expectations. Startups think an engagement is coming, and if it doesn’t happen, it damages our credibility. By narrowing our focus with Lux, we avoid overpromising and only engage when there’s real potential. That protects our reputation in the ecosystem.”
The Benefit
Working with Lux delivers measurable impact across Braskem’s innovation pipeline — enabling smarter decisions, faster cycles, and more strategic engagements.
Time Savings
Lux cut Braskem’s evaluation timeline by 50%, enabling faster go/no-go decisions and expanding overall capacity.
De-Risked Innovation
Lux helped Braskem avoid investments in startups or technologies that lacked feasibility, scalability, or strategic fit.
Improved Ecosystem Credibility
By engaging fewer — but stronger — startups, Braskem avoided false starts and maintained its reputation in the innovation ecosystem.
Unbiased, Third-Party Perspective
Lux provides objective, independent insight that helps Braskem validate ideas without internal bias — empowering smarter go/no-go decisions based on facts, not assumptions.
“If I could simply describe Lux, it would be, ‘An extension of your company – with no bias’”
