For Start-ups

Let‘s shape the future of energy and infrastructure together. Accelerate your start-up with us.

VERBUND X: Strong Partner stand together.

Kickstart your partnership with industry leaders

Our platform unites Europe's biggest industry players, innovative start-ups, and the venture capital community. Together we accelerate new solutions and make smart, fast decisions for a better world.

As an integral component of our accelerator program, we establish 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.

Reach your next level

Our program provides start-ups and tech champions with a wide range of benefits to help you reach the next level.

Resource Access

Gain access to resources, test labs, expert know-how, markets, and an extensive network.

Fast decision-making

Benefit from top-management involvement and a structured process for fast implementation.

Proof-of-Concept

Get a dedicated budget to develop a proof-of-concept (PoC) with a corporate partner and accelerate your success.

Venture Capital Access

Validate the feasibility of your business and attract a potential investor to join your journey.

Search fields of our Batch #5

Together with our use case partners, we identified 5 search fields for the batch #5. 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 closed.

Search fields of our third batch

Together with our use-case partners, we identified 7 search fields for the third batch. 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.

Recycling of wind turbine blades

After around two decades, wind turbines have served their purpose and will no longer be in use. How the blades consisting of fiberglass and resin are subsequently recycled remains a field of great innovation potential. Therefore we are looking for startups and tech-champions with solutions for the recycling of duromers or innovative new materials that can be used for turbine blades enabling future recycling and supporting an circular approach.

Keywords: #recycling #turbineblades #circulareconomy

Corporate Partners: VERBUND

Drone systems for perimeter protection

The aim of this searchfield is to enhance security in the perimeter space, which is the area between fences and operational facilities/sites by implementing a system to monitor the area and detect any unauthorized access or trespassing by thieves or robbers in real-time.
Therefore, we are looking for innovative solutions of autonomous drones without GPS that are equipped with image recognition capabilities.

Keywords: #drones #autonomousdrones #perimeterprotection

Corporate Partners: VERBUND Services GmbH

Predictive maintenance for wind turbines

Down times of wind turbines account for a significant part of operation and maintenance costs. Hence, in order to economically optimize the operation of wind turbines, down time reduction is crucial for a successful operation and maintenance strategy. Predictive, data-driven maintenance strategies possess the potential of reducing down times and thereby can contribute to significantly improve the performance of wind turbines. Furthermore, such data-driven approaches are able to support operation and maintenance teams in planning maintenances and repairs more efficiently. Moreover, technical evaluation of turbines can also be improved with advanced data analytics. Therefore, we are looking for solutions that are based on advanced analytics using SCADA and status data, additional sensorics, digital twins or machine algorithms.

Keywords: #predictivemaintenance #wind #datadriven #digitaltwin

Corporate Partner: VERBUND Green Power GmbH

Alternative forms of renewable energy generation

The corporate partners, Austrian Post and Wienerberger Group both currently operate an extensive network of hundreds of locations and are actively expanding their electric vehicle (EV) fleets and electrifying their production lines. The aim is to secure a sustainable energy supply for both their facilities and the expanding electric vehicle (EV) fleet. The companies are looking for alternative and innovative solutions for renewable energy generation that go beyond conventional photovoltaic (PV) systems. These alternative solutions encompass a wide array of possibilities, such as energy-generating window or facade foils, harnessing wind energy, innovative roofing tiles, and similar groundbreaking technologies, also based on gravity or hydropower.

Keywords: #alternativeenergy #renewableenergy #innovativepv #microwind

Corporate Partners: Post AG, Wienerberger

Location-optimized energy management

The corporate partners currently operate an extensive network of hundreds of locations. They are actively expanding their electric vehicle (EV) fleets, electrifying their production lines and expanding their own energy generation plants. To efficiently operate such a virtual power plant or micro grid, they recognize the need for a holistic and location-specific energy management solution.

We are looking for a holistic energy management solution to efficiently manage virtual power plants or micro grids at the different sites of our corporate partners. This solution comprises systematic monitoring and forecasting of energy consumption and generation, load management, as well as planning and implementation of structural measures for the (long-term) optimization of the energy system by managing consumption, generation and storage. Moreover, it will facilitate the integration into energy markets, enabling to leverage economic benefits from flexibility and energy trading opportunities. Additionally, this solution will empower with fleet management capabilities, predictive load management of charging stations and with electrification of production and logistic chains. The solution should also consider the assessment of regulated grid costs to avoid expensive peaks and distribution grid integration.

Keywords: #energymanagement #microgrid #flexibility

Corporate Partners: Post AG, Wienerberger, Magna Powertrain and VERBUND AG

Predictive load management for charging points

For our charging points we are looking for solutions that provide (near) real-time monitoring and predictions (short, medium, longterm) for charging pole occupancy and expected power consumption. In addition, we are keen to access supplementary data on charging behavior, encompassing factors like charging duration and volume, to enable the creation of precise load profiles for each charging session. Furthermore, in the long run we are interested in strategies for load shifting between charging points to optimize energy distribution and enhance grid stability.

Keywords: #predictiveanalytics #demandforecasting #loadmanagement

Corporate partners: VERBUND Energy4Business GmbH

Your journey with the VERBUND X Accelerator Batch #5

Get your application ready - we are exited to hear about your innovative solutions!

Application Phase until November 17th 2023

Get your application ready - we are exited to hear about your innovative solutions!
As a selected applicant you will be invited to pitch your solution to us in a remote setting. We choose the most exciting start-ups / solutions for each search field and match you with the ideal partner.

Remote Pitches from December 11th to 15th 2023.

As a selected applicant you will be invited to pitch your solution to us in a remote setting. We choose the most exciting start-ups / solutions for each search field and match you with the ideal partner.
In our three-day innovation camp, you get to work with corporate partners on how you will test and implement your pilot project. The camp will be part of VERBUND's energy summit inspire.

Innovation Camp from January 15th to 17th 2024.

In our three-day innovation camp, you get to work with corporate partners on how you will test and implement your pilot project. The camp will be part of VERBUND's energy summit inspire.
Now it´s time to showcase that your solution really creates an impact by building prototypes and quickly iterating to create value.

Acceleration Phase from January till April 2024

Now it´s time to showcase that your solution really creates an impact by building prototypes and quickly iterating to create value.
This is your time to shine: present your fantastic work and showcase the results to our partner network.

Demo Day is on April 25th 2024

This is your time to shine: present your fantastic work and showcase the results to our partner network.
After successfully completing the program you discuss your further collaboration & scaling of your project with your corporate use-case partner.

Launch & Cooperation starting a few months later

After successfully completing the program you discuss your further collaboration & scaling of your project with your corporate use-case partner.

Our Partners

Magna Powertrain

Österreichische Post

Wienerberger

Together with our Use Case Partners we define specific search fields, such as alternative forms of renewable energy generation or location-optimized energy management, for which the VERBUND X Accelerator team actively seeks out start-ups. We carefully select start-ups that align with these topics and proceed to initiate proof-of-concept projects that have the potential to evolve into collaborative partnerships.

Contact

Austrian Institut Of Technology

Microsoft

ÖBAG

OMV

Our Community Partners will be involved in key events of the program as guests and can also play an expert and mentoring role for start-ups and other partners. But they are not involved in decision-making in the Selection and Acceleration Phases of the program.

Contact

VERBUND Ventures

Elevator Ventures

Speedinvest

Gain access to venture capital, showcase your capabilities, and validate the impact you can achieve with their innovative solutions. Our Venture Capital Partners are involved in the selection process of potential investments for their respective search fields.

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Fill in the shoes of our trailblazers

Over 970 start-ups from 57 countries and 6 continents have applied to be a part of our success story already. We are proud to be the trusted partner for start-ups that challenge the status quo and want to accelerate their solution with us.

Our success stories

We have already facilitated more than 25 successful pilot projects in our first three editions. We let their success stories speak for themselves.

In collaboration with IBD Group and TU Wien, VERBUND supports a master’s thesis on the research field of green hydrogen. They have recently started exploring an alternative, nature-based way of producing green hydrogen by engineered photosynthesis and will go on with it in the next months.

ASFINAG collaborates with the German start-ups LuvSide and Mowea to roll out innovative micro wind turbines for several locations across Austria. While MOWEA aims at installing its technology on bridges across Austria, such as Europabrücke, LuvSide concentrates on installing its turbines on rest stations to produce energy for heating water and lights.

In cooperation with voestalpine’s steel division, RGS provides thermoelectric components for remote electricity generation (APU’s) and for waste heat recovery systems. As a next step, the project team tests the technology at two voestalpine plants and plans a strategy for a roll-out.

Here is what our start-up alumnis say

“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