Bind 4.0, the first 'industry 4.0' accelerator that provides access to high-level industry customers

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Applications are now open for the Bind 4.0 accelerator programme in the Basque Country, which helps Industry 4.0 startups to match up with a first-class customer.

The accelerator is run by several premier partner companies and organisations of the industrial segment such as ABB, Michelin or Iberdrola and the Basque Government.

The public-private accelerator is aimed at early-stage Industry 4.0 startups, in sectors like big data, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial vision, augmented reality, additive manufacturing, cyber physical systems and robotics.

Startups from anywhere in the world are invited to apply for the 24-week programme where they will have access to a customer contract worth up to €75,000 with one of the accelerator’s partners’ companies and will work with mentors and an impressive range of Industry 4.0 companies.

Bind 4.0 is looking for the next early-stage startups with a revolutionary idea to join them on a future project in Industry 4.0. Meanwhile, the Basque Country’s government wants to build out the region as an attractive place for startups in fields like the cloud and robotics to come to grow and expand their business.

There are 10 spots on the programme available and participants will have access to up to €500,000 in funding with no equity taken.

Partners in the accelerator include Repsol, Iberdrola, ABB, Mercedes-Benz, CAF, CIE Automotive, Danobat Group, Euskaltel, ITP and Michelin. Successful applicants will have access to a team of experienced mentors who will guide them and their product to market, such as Barak Berkowitz, director of operations and strategy at the MIT Media Lab and Ron Zahavi, chief strategist for IoT standards at Microsoft.

Successful startups for the Bind 4.0 programme will be chosen in October with the accelerator kicking off in November and running into 2017.

“One of the key aims of the accelerator is to discover and partner with some of the most promising new startups with an Industry 4.0 use case and unlock the truly leading-edge and innovative ideas of tomorrow,” said programme director Aitor Urzelai. “Through Bind 4.0, we support early-stage scaleups to gain access to new customers, as well as providing access to finance.”

“We look forward to discovering the wealth of innovation and joining with them in the Basque Country, one of the regions with the highest industrial concentration of Europe,” said accelerator leader Aitor Urzelai.

“The objective of Bind 4.0 Basque Industry Accelerator programme is to push the boundaries of what’s possible, help startups selling to first-class industrial companies and accelerate young companies’ growth.”

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