Following four hybrid sprint phases including coaching, mentoring, and numerous networking opportunities through the networks of the BMW Foundation and UnternehmerTUM as well as direct access to the global BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network, the participants will present their projects to investors and media representatives at a concluding event scheduled for 13th October.

The ten participating startups at a glance:

• AquaFarms Africa, Conakry, Guinea - offers young Africans the possibility to grow food locally using aquaponics franchise systems
• Concular – Circular Construction, Berlin, Germany - brings the circular economy to material procurement
• ConstellR, Freiburg, Germany - supplies global temperature data in high spatial resolution for a growing planet
• FACIL'iti, Limoges, France - makes the digital workspace accessible for people with disabilities
• Poliloop, Budapest, Hungary - uses a bacteria cocktail to biodegrade plastic waste
• Resortecs, Lievegem, Belgium - melts stitching threads to enable high-quality, large-scale textile recycling
• retraced, Düsseldorf, Germany - offers a solution to make supply chains more transparent, with impact meeting efficiency
• The Live Green Co Santiago de Chile, Chile - combines the wisdoms of a plant-based diet with biotech and AI/ML
• Traceless Hamburg, Germany - develops a sustainable alternative to (bio)plastic.
• Village Data Analytics (VIDA) Munich, Germany - is an AI-powered individual software for development investments

The participating startups develop innovative solutions in one of the following focus areas, in line with the UN 2030 Agenda:

• The future of work
• Sustainable urbanisation
• Responsible economy

Heba Aguib, Chief Executive RESPOND, BMW Foundation, summarised the criteria for selecting the cohort as follows: “Through RESPOND, we want to help promote and scale solutions to the most urgent social, ecological, and economic challenges in these critical times. To this end, we are collaborating with entrepreneurs worldwide.

"Again this year I am particularly happy about the enormous diversity and internationality. We have an exciting mix of innovative technologies from all over the world, from Chile to Hungary, and a disproportionately large number of female founders: This year’s cohort includes four female startup founders, against an average of under 15% in Germany.”

Moritz Förster, Director Operations RESPOND, UnternehmerTUM, added: “RESPOND supports entrepreneurs who work toward a just and sustainable future in line with the UN 2030 Agenda. Every single one of these startups has big potential for success: They all promote innovative, internationally scalable products and services in the field of B2B, and most of them have already been able to attract investors, which is evidence of the companies’ maturity and the potential of their solutions.” 

More information on the accelerator program is available here.