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The participating startups are chosen by our 70 Corporate Venture Client companies looking to collaborate and implement new technologies. Be sure to review the profiles on our Venture Clients page to get familiar with the needs of the industry and see if your solutions are a fit. Startups that pass the selection process and reach a collaboration agreement and then sign a contract with at least one of the corporate client companies will join BIND 4.0.
The Selection process is divided into three phases:
PHASE 1: Pre-Selection of Startups
PHASE 2: Selection of Finalist Startups
PHASE 3: Matching between a Venture Client Partner Company and Finalist Startups to work on a joint project
Key dates for the 7th Edition of the BIND 4.0 Program
BIND 4.0 is a public-private initiative, an open innovation platform that provides targeted business services and creates mutually beneficial collaborations between disruptive startups and innovative companies. BIND 4.0 has an annual startup acceleration program aimed at startups with tech products or services that solve relevant problems in the digital transformation of Intelligent Industry, Clean Energy & Sustainability, Health and Food Industries. Additionally, our Open Innovation platform provides services to large companies in their digital transformation journey.
After closing the pre-selection process in October, BIND 4.0 will contact the selected applicants to coordinate the Pitching Sessions of the second phase. The applicants who have not been selected will also be informed of the results.
When all Pitching sessions of Phase 2 are complete, the BIND 4.0 team will contact the Finalists to coordinate a meeting between the startup and the venture client / industry partner company so that they can work on the definition and scope of the joint project to be carried out during the 24-week acceleration cycle.
Yes and More. Acceleration is just one of the many services BIND 4.0 offers in support of the digital transformation of Industry. With 5 editions completed so far, our highly successful program connects promising Industry 4.0 startups with leading Intelligent Industry, Clean Energy & Sustainability, Health and Food companies offering contracts worth up to €150,000. Your company retains all equity and participation is free. We provide training, support services, networking opportunities, access to public funding and private investors plus high impact mentoring, and a real use project to implement your solutions, all in 24 weeks.
The Venture Client / Corporate Partner companies will propose to each selected Startup the opportunity to develop a real Industry 4.0 project. During this phase, there will be meetings between Finalist Startups and interested Venture Client Companies with the goal of defining the scope of the project and reaching a collaboration agreement / contract. In order to ease the legal terms of the agreement, the BIND 4.0 Program will facilitate a standard agreement template. However, both sides have full freedom to write other clauses in the contract. Startups will have the legal support of the Program to make this agreement.
While the final amount of the project and the conditions of the possible contract to be signed between the venture client company and the startup will be agreed by the parties depending on the scope and complexity of their project, the program establishes an indicative minimum of €25,000 (excluding VAT).
The BIND 4.0 Open Innovation platform connects dynamic startup teams with well-established industry leaders, to provide external solutions for their internal digital transformation challenges. BIND 4.0 facilitates the outsourcing of R&D & Innovation to young startups specialized in emerging technologies. This is a win-win approach by leveraging the expertise and agility of startups with the experience and resources of corporate companies.
Only the Venture Client selection jury and competition managers will have access to the documents of each startup. All documents are considered confidential and will be securely protected from any unauthorized access.
The Venture Client approach means large companies, like our 70 Corporate Clients, invest in startup teams by contracting them for real Industry 4.0 projects. This is a zero equity approach to investing by allowing the startup to maintain ownership of their company and get important reference customers as they implement and scale their solutions. Startups and Corporates alike get real benefits and results.
The 2023 edition will have a hybrid online and face-to-face format. Kick-off, Pitching and Mentoring sessions will be held online, and face-to-face attendance will be required during 2 immersive sessions and the Demo Day event. Startups teams will need to send one team member to the required events hosted in Basque Country, Spain in order to participate, all events take place in the Madrid CET/CEST time zone.
BIND 4.0 encourages participating startups to spend as much time as possible in the Basque Country, Spain, with the aim of promoting their immersion and development in the local Ecosystem. To learn more about the reasons to invest in this region, visit our Basque Industry 4.0 Ecosystem page for key business and industry figures.
We accept Startups from all over the world proposing the use of new technologies which can be applied to the Industry, Energy & Sustainability, Health and Food sectors. The technologies of interest expands each year but some of the main areas are: AI, IIOT, Collaborative Robotics, AR/VR, Vision Systems, Big Data & Advanced Analytics, Cybersecurity, Nanotech, New Materials, Additive Manufacturing, Smart Energy, Clean Tech, Biobased Solutions, Positioning Systems, and many more. If your company has completed product development or recently launched a solution based on Industry 4.0 technologies, you’re ready to take the next step and join BIND 4.0.
BIND 4.0 offers high-quality training and guidance provided by exemplary professionals with a wide range of experience in collaboration, sales, investment, scale-up and professional development. The goal of the training program is to provide Startup teams with business development and acceleration support, while they are working on their Industry 4.0 collaborative projects.
BIND 4.0 is designed and funded by the Basque Government and the Department of Economic Development Sustainability and Environment through the business development agency SPRI Group. In collaboration with the main industrial companies in the region acting as Venture Clients and supported by the HAZI Foundation and the three Provincial Councils of the Basque Autonomous Community.
The Mentors of the program will coach participants and try to bring out the best in each of them. They are well-regarded international professionals who offer their knowledge, personal experience, and vision, with the goal of helping companies develop and evolve more effectively. The mentoring team will guide participating startups in each phase of their business model, marketing strategy, networks, etc. in an effort to obtain financing, investment or new clients.
Nothing. The Venture Client companies pay for the development of your project and you will not be asked to exchange equity nor pay any fees for your participation, thanks to the public-private model we’ve developed.
It absolutely can. When the project is finished, the relationship between the startups and venture client companies will evolve based on the needs and motivations that may arise between both sides, which they can agree to privately. 60% of BIND 4.0 Startups retain their contract one year after their participation in our program.
BIND 4.0 partner companies are constantly looking for new concepts, innovative ideas and early stage startups that can help them overcome their challenges in Industry 4.0. The benefit for them is to be able to network with the best entrepreneurial talent in the world and develop innovative projects in an agile, risk- and cost-controlled manner.
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