We help Startups and Corporates forge powerful innovations together.
We are Europe's top co-creation platform, connecting leading startups, scaleups, and tech champions with industry leaders to drive innovation in energy and infrastructure.
We empower Startups to accelerate growth and transform visionary ideas into reality.
Resource Access: Tap into industry insights, corporate assets, and an expansive network.
Fast Decision-Making: Benefit from top-management involvement and a structured process for fast implementation.
Proof-of-Value: Achieve access to major customers with a paid pilot project.
Venture Capital Access: Validate your business with potential investors ready to join your journey.
We enable Corporates to innovate with agility and harness fresh perspectives for lasting success.
Overcome Challenges: Collaborate with startups to tackle obstacles and explore new markets with innovative solutions.
Fast Results: Harness the agility of startups. Our fast-pace program ensures quick results and decision-making.
Make an Impact: Commit to sustainability and empower co-creation for lasting positive change.
Access to Startups: Engage with startups to start collaborations or explore investment opportunities.
Our accelerator program is supported by leading partners from various industries. The mix of use-case partners, venture capital partners, and community partners ensures comprehensive support, offering industry expertise, financial backing, and a strong community, all aimed at driving innovation and success for our participants.
Batch 6 of the VERBUND X Accelerator has entered the Acceleration Phase, where selected startups are developing Proof-of-Value projects in collaboration with corporate partners. From 77 applications, eight startups were chosen to work on innovative solutions in areas like energy storage, data quality, and hydrogen technology.
The VERBUND X Accelerator showcased innovative projects in energy consumption prediction, photovoltaic installations, security drones, predictive maintenance, device management, and EV charging forecasts; discover their groundbreaking impact.
The fourth batch of the VERBUND X Accelerator wrapped up with successful projects from Electric Miles & Ambibox, Yukka Lab, and Cortecs, supported by partners like ÖBAG, AIT, Microsoft, and OMV.
VERBUND X Ventures is the Corporate Venture Capital Unit of VERBUND, as such, it looks for investment opportunities to boost the transition to renewable energy. VERBUND Ventures GmbH is a 100% affiliated company of VERBUND AG.
VERBUND X Accelerator is the leading European platform that connects start-ups and tech champions with VERBUND and other industry partners. VERBUND AG orchestrates this platform. The focus of the program is on connecting Europe´s biggest players in the energy, manufacturing, and logistics sectors with innovative startups/ SMEs/ research institutions to join forces and realize pilot projects together.
The Innovation Camp and Demo Day are currently designed as in-person events, and we strongly recommend participating in person. However, for other events, we have incorporated a hybrid or fully remote setting, eliminating the need for travel.
Absolutely! If travel is necessary for the program, reasonable travel expenses, including transportation to and from Vienna and accommodation for non-residents, will be reimbursed according to VERBUND travel expense rules (economy class flights or train, taxi/rental car/own car if required). However, if the event is conducted remotely and does not take place on-site, travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered.
Please submit workshop input, documentation, and pitches in English. While working within your team, you are free to communicate in your language of choice.
No. We are equally interested in startups, SMEs and research institutes working on technologies, solutions, or services that could be used for the energy and infrastructure industry but have not yet provided an application in this field.
Send in your application via our Webpage, while we are in our scouting phase and open for applications. This happens twice a year. Stay tuned and check our website to not miss the next opportunity.
The applications for Batch 7 is closed. The application for Batch 8 will open in Spring 2025.
If you are interested in working with VERBUND or if you are looking for investment, get in touch with our VERBUND X Ventures Team!
The best startups will be invited to a remote/digital pitch in front of the managers and domain experts from VERBUND and its partners to discuss their business model, technology, and potential use cases. Successful candidates will then be invited to the Innovation Camp.
The selected startups will enter the Acceleration (Proof-of-Value) phase and will pitch at the final event in front of the top management of VERBUND and its partners. Successful teams will then be given a chance to enter a cooperation with VERBUND or its use case partners.
A jury consisting of the members of the top management of VERBUND and its VERBUND X Accelerator partners.
Community partners are members of the overall VERBUND X Accelerator network. They will be involved in key events of the program as guests and can play an expert and mentoring role for startups and other partners. They are not involved in decision-making for the Selection and Acceleration Phases of the program.
Use case partners are also members of the comprehensive VERBUND X Accelerator network. In addition, they will be involved in decision-making for the Selection and Acceleration Phases and will work together with the selected startups on a specific use case.
The VERBUND X Accelerator network also has Venture Capital Partners. These partners are involved in the selection process of potential investments for the respective search fields.
During the Innovation Camp the business units of the participating use case partners and start-ups will jointly identify a pilot project for their potential collaboration. The top management of VERBUND and of the other use case partner will decide which start-up cooperations will enter the Acceleration phase. The Acceleration Phase is designed to execute the pilot projects directly and, therefore, validate the collaboration.
Each startup-corporate team defines its own pilot scope during the Innovation Camp for the following Acceleration Phase. As the projects are vastly different from each other in their technologies and timelines, we are looking for pilots that get the partnership started.
Budget for testing, field trials, and prototyping are foreseen (the amount depends on the project scope, subject to negotiations), reasonable travel costs are covered.
Your pitch deck should include a compelling problem statement that clearly outlines the market need your startup aims to address, a concise and persuasive description of your product or service and its unique value proposition. Additionally, we recommend you adding information about your business model incl. revenue potential and scalability, financial projections as well as market size and your competition (Please include URLs of up to 3 of your competitors). Make sure to also showcase the team behind your startup including your qualifications and expertise, and any partners or reference customers that you already have.
