BIND 9th Edition Startup Call Results

Checkout the Startup Technologies Advancing Industries: the BIND Open Call closes with 867 Applicants from 82 Countries

The 9th edition call for startups for the BIND Acceleration Program with Corporate Clients has officially closed with resounding success, with 867 applications total from 82 countries. This summer’s open call results reveal the highest number of startup proposals and the most diverse representation of the global entrepreneurial ecosystem so far. We have our work cut out for us now, connecting talented startups with our 70 Industry Leading Corporate Partners.

The entrepreneurial community responded once again in support of BIND, exceeding our expectations with the highest number of applications so far and 680 international applicants, coming from outside of Spain. We want to extend our gratitude to all the Partners, Collaborators, Founders, BTI representatives and agents of innovation who helped us reach a wide and talented audience for the 9th edition Open Call.

This year there is a notable presence of startups from European countries, with 377 applications, or 56% of the total. Among the most represented European countries this year is Italy, followed by the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Outside Europe, South America is the continent with the highest number of proposals, with a total of 122, led by Colombia, Argentina and Brazil, followed by Africa, North America and Asia.

AI Technologies, Connectivity & IoT continue to trend

Following the trend of the last few years, we once again received the most startup submissions for applications of artificial intelligence with an emphasis on machine learning followed by software, connectivity and IoT, image processing, content management platforms, sensors and data acquisition, energy tech, collaborative and advanced robotics, and immersive technologies, among others.

New Materials and Hydrogen, growing trends for Industry

One of the new trends we’ve seen among the different proposals this year, is the use of new materials, both created from waste or recycled products, and to create new types of fuels and engines. The overarching goals of these innovations are to utilize more efficient materials and promote sustainability in the future. BIND received nearly 40 applications of new materials, focused on different uses, ranging from health and medicine to the creation of industrial equipment, as well as new biotechnological and food products. Another growing trend is in hydrogen solutions, 13 applications in this call are focused on decarbonization, energy efficiency and new energy sources for mobility and industry, among others.

Supporting Innovation & Transformation across verticals

A distinct and valuable aspect of the BIND Platform, are the 70 Corporate Venture Clients ready to review the applicants to access new talent and work with startups across 4 main verticals. A majority of the Corporate Partners can be grouped in the Smart Manufacturing and Automation sector as well as industry leaders in Clean Energy & Sustainability, Health & Pharmaceuticals and Food & Beverage. We are proud to represent a wide variety of sectors as we boost innovation while supporting startups with acceleration, mentoring, access to investors and more.

A review of startup applicants by sector contains some overlapping figures, as some technologies can apply to more than one, the breakdown is as follows; 63% Intelligent Industry, 36% Clean Energy & Sustainability, 27% Health and 17% Food.

>60% of Applications are Technologies for Operations Optimization and Sustainability

Although the BIND Corporate Partners are always interested in a wide variety of solutions, this year the 70 companies prioritized 12 Use Cases. The most popular of which were solutions for resource management and optimization of operations (320 applicants), sustainability and energy efficiency technologies (250), innovation of industrial processes applied to the worker or end-user (190), and automating internal and business processes including improving customer lifecycle (160).

Plus, this year we had 3 Use Cases dedicated to advancements in the Health Tech & Life Sciences sector and received 237 applications for innovative care models, preventative diagnostics, medical devices, biocompatibility and advanced therapies. It’s encouraging to see the development of technologies focused on improving the customer and worker experience, sustainability, energy efficiency, and advancements in healthcare.

Startup Selection is In Process, Followed by Pitching and Matchmaking

After the evaluation period, we will move onto the selection of startups for pitching sessions in front of 70 potential clients in October and finally the matchmaking of startups with corporate venture clients. The BIND Coordination team will be in touch with all applicants throughout the selection process to announce who has moved onto the next phase. Putting innovation into action is why we rank in the Top 25 European Startup Hubs for 2024 by the Financial Times. We can’t wait to see what advanced technologies capture the interest of Basque industry leaders for the next startup-corporate collaborative projects.