Our platform unites Europe's biggest industry players, innovative startups, scaleups, tech champions and the venture capital community. Together we accelerate new solutions and make smart, fast decisions for a better world.
Our VERBUND X Accelerator, designed as a multi-corporate collaboration program, establishes connections between you and the perfect use case partner. This collaboration allows the realization of pilot projects and fosters sustainable business growth. On top of that, we facilitate connections between you and the venture capital community in Europe.
Our program provides start-ups, scaleups and tech champions with a wide range of benefits to help you reach the next level.
Gain access to resources, test labs, expert know-how, markets, and an extensive network.
Benefit from top-management involvement and a structured process for fast implementation.
Get a dedicated budget to develop a proof-of-concept (PoC) for your collaboration with a corporate partner and accelerate your success.
Validate the feasibility of your business and attract a potential investor to join your journey.
Together with our Use Case Partners, we identified 6 Use Case search fields for Batch #7. Each holds great potential to shape the future of energy and infrastructure and deserves our focused attention in the form of open innovation and co-creation. Applications open!
RHIM and Axpo operate many facilities for which digital data such as digital twins, blueprints, or CAD plans, is often not available. This data is crucial for renovation and investments and the lack of reliable data prolongs planning and decision-making processes. To address this, they seek innovative solutions for automatic 3D modelling using digital scanning technologies. Key focus areas include:
The goal is to efficiently create digital data for existing installations, optimizing processes, saving costs and time, and reducing the risks linked to incomplete data.
Corporate Partners: Axpo, RHI Magnesita
BIG manages a portfolio of around 2,000 properties, making the maintenance of buildings, parking decks, gardens, and other areas highly labor-intensive. With rapid advancements in robotics, BIG is seeking versatile, multifunctional robotic solutions to provide technical support for property management. Desired applications include assistance with property inspections, appliance checks, documentation, area surveying, comparing the current state of spaces to plans, inventorying building elements for BIM models, and detecting litter. The goal is to increase efficiency and optimize processes in property management.
Corporate Partners: BIG
As part of its sustainability strategy, BIG is committed to transitioning its real estate portfolio to renewable and locally available energy sources. The organization is installing photovoltaic systems across its university properties in Austria, aiming for a total output of approximately 12 MWp, which is equivalent to the average energy consumption of over 2,700 single-family homes. Effective energy storage for surplus production is therefore critical. BIG is seeking solutions that enable energy storage within existing properties without requiring additional construction, due to fire safety and legal regulations. The ideal technologies should offer high energy storage density and performance, allow for modular applications and upgrades, and consider embedded CO2 emissions.
Corporate Partners: BIG
Axpo operates a significant biogas business across Switzerland and Europe, with ambitious growth plans. The focus is shifting from electricity generation from biogas to biomethane production, in line with European efforts to replace fossil methane. Axpo is seeking technologies to enhance the value of biomethane, including solutions for transporting biomethane, technologies for utilizing the carbon dioxide stream, and managing digestate output. For CH4 transport, they are interested in small-scale liquefaction or compressor plants. For CO2 utilization, they are looking for small-scale capture plants for both gaseous and solid applications.
Corporate Partners: AXPO
In hydropower, drones are increasingly used to document dam surfaces, offering detailed and comprehensive overviews of asset conditions. However, manual flights require pilots to constantly adjust the drone’s position and camera settings, leading to reduced focus and inconsistent data collection. While automated drone flights are theoretically possible, GNSS signal disruptions caused by dams, tall trees, or mountains pose a challenge. VERBUND is looking for innovative software or hardware solutions that enable automated drone flights without relying on GNSS or that can bridge temporary signal gaps. One option under consideration is using a total station to track the drone via a prism, though communication issues between the total station and the drone’s controller remain to be resolved.
Corporate Partners: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
VERBUND aims to empower consumers to take control of their energy usage and participate actively in the energy market. To help private customers manage their consumption and understand its financial impact, VERBUND plans to develop an energy management app. This app will provide insights, allowing users to track daily costs, consumption patterns, and peak usage. The app will also feature contract management options, enabling customers to view and switch energy plans seamlessly, creating a comprehensive and user-friendly platform for efficient energy management.
VC Partners: VERBUND Energy4Customers GmbH
Application Now Open
1: 3D Plant Modelling
2: Robotics in Property Operations
3: Energy Storage for Real Estate Properties
4: Additional Value from Biomethane
5: Automated Aerial Survey without GNSS Signal
6: Digital App for Private Customers
More than 1.000 startups, scaleups, and tech-champions from over 40 countries have applied to be a part of our success story already. We are proud to be the trusted partner for those who want to challenge the status quo and accelerate their solution with us.
In 2023, VERBUND and MAGNA joined forces to pioneer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications toegether with Ambibox, a German manufactuer of bidirectional charging stations, and the innovative UK startup Electric Miles for charging management software. The collaboration resulted in the successful integration of Ambibox DC chargers into the Electric Miles backend, achieving seamless control and management.
In 2022, VERBUND partnered with SmartHelio, a Swiss clean-tech scaleup, to enhance solar asset management using predictive analytics. SmartHelio's advanced data analytics solution was integrated into VERBUND’s digital infrastructure for two solar power plants. This collaboration led to the successful detection of early fault signatures, potentially avoiding 30% of total losses and underperformance. The predictive analytics software demonstrated great potential for long-term collaboration.
“We are super excited to be part of this program because it was one of the very rare occasions for startups to work together with not only a large corporate but also people that are incredibly motivated within that corporate.”
Benjamin Mörzinger, Founder, nista.io
"The Verbund X Accelerator was an impressive and well-organised accelerator programme that created a clear and interesting opportunity for us as an early stage startup to test our product and whether working with corporates would be a good route forward."
Kristian Yde Agerbo, Lun Energy
