As presented by Daniel Seo, Investment Manager at 3M Ventures, giving us an insider's view from Silicon Valley
The 3M Story: More Than Just Post-it Notes
Think of 3M as a silent giant in our daily lives. While most people know them for Post-it Notes and Scotch tape, these familiar products are just the tip of an impressive iceberg. Here's what makes 3M remarkable:
The Scale of Innovation
Imagine a company so deeply woven into the fabric of modern life that you're never more than 10 feet away from one of their products. That's 3M. With:
$25 billion in annual revenue - roughly the GDP of a small country
63,000 employees worldwide - a workforce the size of a small city
55,000 different products - from the bandage on your finger to the films in your smartphone
Over 130,000 patents - more than many countries grant in a year
800+ brands and trademarks - each solving specific problems in our world
To put their commitment to innovation in perspective, 3M invests:
$1.8B annually in R&D - about $5 million every day to invent new solutions
$1.6B in capital investments - building the future of manufacturing
Three Pillars of Business
Think of 3M as three powerful engines working together:
Safety & Industrial ($11B) Making work safer and more efficient
Imagine every safety mask, every industrial adhesive, every protective coating that keeps workers safe and factories running
Transportation & Electronics ($9B) The invisible tech in your daily life
From the films that make your car's dashboard readable in sunlight to the adhesives holding your smartphone together
Consumer ($5B) The 3M you know
While this is the face of 3M we're most familiar with (Post-it Notes, Scotch Tape), it's actually their smallest division
The Science Behind It All
3M's approach to innovation is like a master chef's recipe book:
The Basic Ingredients (49 Technology Platforms)
Organized like a periodic table of elements, but instead of chemical elements, these are technological capabilities
Think of it as 49 different "superpowers" that can be mixed and matched to solve problems
The Magic of Combination Here's where it gets interesting. Take adhesives, for example:
In construction: Strong enough to hold buildings together
In electronics: Modified to conduct heat in your smartphone
In your office: Gentle enough to stick and re-stick Post-it Notes
3M New Growth Ventures: Betting on the Future
Think of this as 3M's way of staying ahead of the curve. They've created a three-part innovation engine:
The Innovation Triangle
3M Ventures (The Scout)
Acts like a talent scout but for breakthrough technologies
Invests in promising startups that could shape tomorrow's world
Business Building Team (The Architect)
Takes promising ideas and builds them into successful businesses
Think of them as master builders of future 3M divisions
R&D Technical Team (The Scientists)
The wizards who make sure new ideas actually work
Bridge the gap between dream and reality
Real-World Success Stories
Robots with a Gentle Touch
Partner: GrayMatter Robotics
What they do: Created robots that can sand and finish surfaces with the precision of a master craftsman
Why it matters: Makes manufacturing more efficient while maintaining quality
Fighting Climate Change
Partner: Svante
Mission: Capturing carbon dioxide from the air
3M's role: Providing the special materials that actually trap the carbon
The Future of Computing
Partner: Bead Origin (South Korea)
What they do: Making semiconductor manufacturing more efficient
Significance: 3M's first venture investment in Korea, signaling their commitment to Asian innovation
Looking to the Future
3M's vision is ambitious yet simple: "Make what is indispensable." They're not just looking for the next Post-it Note; they're searching for solutions to humanity's biggest challenges:
Making vehicles electric
Fighting climate change
Protecting workers
Advancing computing
Creating sustainable solutions
With a special focus on Korea and Asian markets, 3M sees the next wave of innovation coming from this region, marking an exciting new chapter in their century-long story of innovation.
This is more than just a corporate strategy - it's a blueprint for how a century-old company stays at the cutting edge, continuously reinventing itself and the world around us.
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