BIND 4.0 starts its 8th Edition of the acceleration program together with the 22 startups that will develop 30 projects. The eighth edition of the internationally recognized BIND 4.0 open innovation platform acceleration program begins.

The program offers participating startups the development of projects for collaborating companies, mentoring services, workshops and connection with investors and the Basque industrial ecosystem.

The developed solutions will be presented on June 27, during the annual BIND 4.0 Demo Day event.

BIND 4.0 starts its 8th Edition together with the 22 startups that participate this year in its acceleration program. Last September, the call closed with more than 770 applications from startups from around the world with solutions for the smart industry, clean energy and sustainability, health and food. After a process of assessment and scouting of the technologies presented by the BIND 4.0 team, the 70 BIND 4.0 partner companies, leaders in the industry based in the Basque Country, such as Iberdrola, ITP Aero, Arteche, RPK, Betsaide and Quirónsalud , have selected a total of 29 innovative projects to develop in collaboration with startups.

The main objective of the program is to connect startups with leading companies as reference clients, to boost the competitiveness of the Basque industry. The projects in this edition are driven by disruptive technologies to automate processes through artificial intelligence, facilitate human-machine interaction in the factory or improve the circularity of industrial processes through sustainable solutions, among others. In addition, the selected startups will access the multiple benefits of the Acceleration Program: For 20 weeks and free of charge, they will have individualized mentoring services, connection with investors, expert workshops for the growth of the startup and immersion in the industry ecosystem Basque.

Of the 29 projects that will be carried out jointly between companies and startups in this edition, 64% of the solutions will be used for the smart industry, 27% for renewable energy and sustainability and 9% of the solutions will be used in projects for health and nutrition. Among the technologies that will be applied in the project solutions, artificial intelligence, cleanTech and robotics stand out, which will be used to improve processes and optimize the resources of industrial companies.

Regarding the origin of the startups in the eighth edition, specifically 35% of the selected startups come from the Basque Country, 2 from Bizkaia, 2 from Araba and 3 from Gipuzkoa and the largest number of startups, with 40% of the projects come from the rest of the State. And in international representation, 25% come from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Singapore and Brazil.

With more than 300 projects developed and 200 internationally renowned startups participating, the BIND 4.0 platform becomes the most relevant collaboration model between companies and startups at the European level to promote and transform the industry. In addition, it has been recognized internationally on two occasions: in December 2023, by the global platform Mind the Gap and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) with a Startup Ecosystem Stars award for Exceptional Support to Industry and SMEs. Previously, the European Commission awarded the initiative at the 14th Edition of the European Business Promotion Awards, in the category of improving the business environment.

• Immersion in the industry and ecosystem of Euskadi

During the weeks that the program lasts, the startups will participate in different activities. On the one hand, they will have training sessions given by experts with the aim of improving their skills to make their pitch, both commercial and for investors, and with workshops to configure their B2B sales strategy. On the other hand, they are also offered expert advice from the 40 BIND 4.0 mentors and connection with the investor club that actively participates in the platform. In addition, the acceleration program has a week of immersion for startups in the Basque industry ecosystem, with visits to leading companies in the Basque Country to learn about their latest innovation projects. As a final culmination, the projects developed during the 20 weeks of the program will be exhibited on June 27, 2024, in an event open to the public, companies and investors at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao.

The Acceleration Program is, together with SME Connection and BIND 4.0 GovTech, one of the three initiatives that the open innovation platform has, created by the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment through the SPRI Group and its platform UpEuskadi. SME Connection connects leading SMEs in the Basque Country with disruptive startups through sectoral challenges to promote the digital transition of Basque companies. For its part, BIND 4.0 GovTech connects startups and Basque public companies in digitalization projects to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the public sector through technology. Through its three initiatives, the Open Innovation platform has accelerated more than 200 startups and developed more than 300 projects with the triple objective of accelerating the development of startups in the Basque industrial ecosystem, promoting the digital transformation of companies and positioning them. Basque ecosystem as a hub for advanced industrial entrepreneurship.