As a leading innovator, we have our eye on the future and are constantly on the lookout for good ideas, new technologies, and solutions. Partnerships and collaborations are an integral part of our corporate philosophy. This is why we support and sponsor start-ups and accompany them on their way to industrial practice.
We have been systematically collaborating with several promising start-ups since 2014, and they benefit from Festo’s industry expertise. Our collaborations particularly focus on technologies and solutions that can be used in our products and services to create added value for our customers or make our processes more efficient.
That is why we regularly hold start-up pitch events focusing on specific technological areas of research, as well as on processes and procedures. The start-ups that are invited can discuss the challenges and possible solutions directly with the departments and explore potential forms of collaboration.
The Gründermotor initiative is the decentralized innovation platform for Baden-Württemberg to create the digital SMEs of tomorrow, today. To achieve this, Gründermotor works closely with numerous colleges and universities throughout Baden-Württemberg. The initiative gives innovative start-ups access to a premium network of experienced mentors, well-known investors, and partners from the worlds of business and science.
The M.Tech Accelerator is a leading platform for technology start-ups in southern Germany that aims to drive the development of the Stuttgart region as a center for engineering and mobility. The program is supported by Stuttgart as Baden-Württemberg’s state capital, bwcon GmbH, TTI GmbH, the wizemann space, and the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation. After the application phase, a total of 25 start-ups are accepted to the M.Tech Accelerator program for an entire year and are guided over a 12-month period. The program supports individuals and start-up teams with innovative products or business models in the mobility, manufacturing, and engineering sectors that are in the pre-founding or founding phase.
We have joined forces with other SMEs to find intelligent solutions with a focus on optimizing and digitalizing business processes and supporting this through new technologies – for example in the fields of purchasing, HR, or for our facilities. As a result of participating in the startup2mittelstand (start-up to SME) initiative, the companies involved are more successful in identifying and evaluating start-up solutions, while at the same time being more attractive to start-ups.
The TechFounders accelerator is a 20-week program that brings technology start-ups and strong industry partners together. With the help of various mentors and their networks, the start-ups prepare their business idea with the aim of implementing initial applications in the form of pilot projects. In addition to Festo, other companies including BMW, Bosch, Linde, and Miele are also involved in the accelerator program.