Wazoku, Nterprisers team up to expand innovation access for U.S. manufacturers

Wazoku and Rhode Island startup Nterprisers have formed a partnership to give small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers access to open innovation tools, global problem-solving networks and sourcing intelligence. The deal targets a sector where nearly 99% of manufacturers are SMEs and many lack the visibility and innovation resources larger firms use to modernize and compete.

Why it matters: - The partnership aims to give smaller manufacturers access to innovation capabilities that have largely been reserved for large enterprises with dedicated teams and bigger budgets. - The move could help manufacturers improve supply chain resilience, modernize operations and tap outside expertise in sectors under pressure to move faster. - Nearly 99% of U.S. manufacturers are small and medium-sized businesses, so widening access could affect a large share of the industrial base.

What happened: - Wazoku and Nterprisers announced a partnership on June 11, 2026, to connect U.S. manufacturers with open innovation and intelligence tools. - Nterprisers is a Rhode Island-based manufacturing intelligence startup founded and launched in 2025. - Wazoku is a global innovation ecosystem provider with a network that includes Innocentive. - Nterprisers has already made tens of thousands of manufacturers visible and accessible to customers, suppliers, service providers, investors and other stakeholders through its platform.

The details: - Wazoku’s Innocentive is a global marketplace of more than 1 million solvers, startups, subject matter experts and vetted IP. - Organizations including NASA, Enel and AstraZeneca use the network to post challenges, source existing solutions and vetted IP, and commission invention on demand when no ready solution exists. - The partnership will let manufacturers participate in open innovation challenges and collaborative problem-solving. - The companies say the collaboration will also connect manufacturers to global R&D expertise. - Initial use cases include capability discovery and sourcing intelligence to improve supply chain resilience. - The partnership also targets shared industry-wide challenges where pre-competitive cooperation can create collective gains. - Manufacturers will be able to connect with researchers, startups and technology partners relevant to their sector. - The companies also want to support modernization and digital transformation through proven innovation methodologies. - The partnership is especially aimed at aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, energy and critical infrastructure sectors.

Between the lines: - Nterprisers is building the visibility layer for a fragmented manufacturing base, while Wazoku is adding a route into global innovation infrastructure. - The partnership reflects a broader push to make innovation services available beyond large enterprises and to more companies across the U.S. industrial economy. - For smaller manufacturers, better discoverability could become a gateway to both commercial opportunities and outside problem-solving capacity.

What’s next: - The partnership will begin by focusing on manufacturers and the wider industrial ecosystem. - The companies are positioning the combined platform for broader regional expansion beyond Nterprisers’ Rhode Island base. - The near-term payoff will depend on how quickly manufacturers adopt the tools and turn external innovation access into operational gains.

The bottom line: - Wazoku and Nterprisers are trying to bring enterprise-grade innovation access to a manufacturing sector that has long lacked visibility, connectivity and outside expertise.