Many start-ups or early-stage small businesses think that all they need to become the next billion-dollar unicorn is to have an idea, and then sell it to one big corporate.

The truth is somewhat more sobering. Most start-ups don’t make it past their first few years in business, for a range of reasons. But the idea of small businesses forging working relationships with big corporates is becoming increasingly more topical, with the potential for symbiotic relationships...