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.

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.

In an increasingly unpredictable global context (pandemics, armed conflicts, rising raw material and freight costs, etc.), the need for a strategic local supplier base is becoming ever more important. The initiative was created to find out which technologies or components are missing in our value chain, with the aim of working to attract strategic suppliers to the Basque Country.

BIND SME Connection is mainly focused on the following startup profiles:

• Startups that develop new innovative technologies applied to the industrial sector and its related services, or that have direct application in the production processes and/or services of the participating SMEs that have already completed their technological development, and that are in a position to finalise the configuration of their service/product. That is, that have a product or service that can be seen, tested, proven, or that is already available on the market.
• Startups no more than 8 years old, proposing the use of new technologies to improve business processes, and that need to accelerate their business development.
• Startups with application in the challenges proposed by the SMEs, and that are a fit with the specialisation sectors and opportunity areas of the Basque Country Specialisation Strategy.

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.

• Startups register by filling out the application form, active July 7 – Sept 10 2021
• Every team will be asked to send a video where founders introduce their startup. Other attachments that provide additional information (demos, presentation, etc.) may also be considered
• Applications must be sent in English, using the application form on our site

If you are interested in participating in this initiative or would like further information, you can contact the Invest in the Basque Country team using the form at the bottom of the Strategic Supplier Attraction service page.

Participating SMEs commit to:

• Accept and comply with the terms and conditions of the initiative.
• Attend and actively participate in the dynamics proposed in the initiative, and comply with the work and tasks defined.
• Provide the required dedication for the development of the project once a collaboration contract between the SME and the startup has been signed.

The latter implies a minimum dedication of 40 hours in order to get involved and benefit from the programme, which implies a proactive participation in the programme and the work to be done internally in the organisation.  The minimum tasks and hours to be performed are as follows:

• Launching + Identification and Characterisation of challenges = 12 hours
• Analysis + Selection of startups = 8 hours
• Matchmaking Sessions (Pitching + B2B Event with startups) = 10 hours
• Other internal reflection work + Communication = 10 hours

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 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.

The initiative seeks strategic suppliers in the RIS3 field to be incorporated into our ecosystem and fill any potential gaps that may exist in the value chain. The service is designed to attract both specific suppliers of interest to Basque companies, as well as areas or technologies where companies do not have an identified supplier and a local supplier would be highly beneficial for their business.

Participating startups will commit to:

• Accept and comply with the terms and conditions of the initiative.
• Attend and actively participate in the dynamics proposed in the initiative, and comply with the work and tasks defined.
• Provide the required dedication for the development of the project once a collaboration contract between the SME and the startup has been signed.

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.

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.

The initiative has been developed in collaboration with key clusters and business associations in the Basque Country.

• The process begins with a Basque company assessing and identifying potential opportunities. Once this analysis has been carried out, the Basque company will contact the foreign supplier in order to gauge their potential interest in establishing themselves in the Basque Country.
• Next, the company fills in the form where they can detail both specific suppliers and areas or technologies for which they do not know a specific supplier, but a supplier located in the Basque Country would be highly beneficial for their business.
• Next, the Invest in The Basque Country team at SPRI will then organise a video conference between the parties involved to determine the initial feasibility of a potential site in the Basque Country.
• Finally, in case of initial positive interest, the Invest in The Basque Country group will draft and establishment project for the foreign supplier.

The program is in English, requiring at least one of the team members to have the necessary language skills.

If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact the BIND 4.0 Coordination Team at info@bind40.com. We’re happy to help you!

Be sure to check out our Term & Conditions

If you are interested in participating in this initiative or would like further information, you can contact the Invest in the Basque Country team using the form at the bottom of the Strategic Supplier Attraction service page.

Selection phase: startup evaluation and SME-startup matching

The startup selection process will be carried out in two phases: the evaluation phase and the matching phase.

The startup evaluation phase is in turn structured in two sub-phases:

• The startup candidate pre-selection phase is led by the Coordination and Evaluation Committee, who will offer a short list of startups to the SMEs for evaluation. For this purpose, once the proposals are received, the Coordination and Evaluation Team will analyse the proposals, evaluating their adaptation to the published challenges, the technical capacity to respond to the challenge posed described by the startup, the innovative component of the proposed solution, as well as the capabilities and experience of the team proposed by the startup. The evaluation will be based on a total of 100 points with the following distribution:

Evaluation criteria

1) Value proposition (40%)

Level of innovation of the proposed solution.

Maturity level of the proposal (market stage of the technology, product or service).

Impact of the proposed solution on the SME and the market.

Advantages of the proposed solution over market alternatives.

2) Promotion team (20%)

Training and professional competencies of the promotion team.

Experience and knowledge of the sector.

3) Adaptation to the challenges posed (40%)

Fulfilment of the technical requirements of the challenge.

Project description level (phases, scope, objectives, examples).

Scalability of the proposed solution to SMEs with similar needs.

 

• Startup prioritisation phase: after receiving the shortlist from their committee with the appropriate recommendations, the SMEs will choose the startups they consider most appropriate for addressing their challenges. As a result, these are the ones that will finally be invited to attend the pitching sessions.

Early stage and “idea phase” projects will not be accepted into this program. BIND 4.0 is addressed to startups in the Industry 4.0 field that have finished their technological development and are ready to launch their product/service on the market.