Open call – Pitch your electrification and motion solutions to ABB

The European Innovation Council (EIC) is inviting EIC-backed start-ups and scale-ups to do business with a key electrification and automation player, ABB. The EIC-backed companies selected by ABB to participate in this initiative will receive tailored business support and will participate in an exclusive pitching and matching session with ABB technical experts and decision-makers in Bergamo (Italy) on 25-26 June 2025. 

Don’t miss this unique opportunity and apply by 11 April 2025: 

 Application to EIC Corporate Day with ABB

ABB is seeking highly innovative solutions in data centres, product sustainability, customer and internal process improvement, MotorDrives material efficiency, unlocking new markets, and co-developing innovative solutions. 

Why apply? 

Selected EIC-backed companies will benefit from: 

• Customised preparatory support including a group session with ABB, 1-to-1 sessions with business experts, high-quality feedback to adjust the pitch deck, pitch dry-runs, and business proposal review. 

• Exclusive access to ABB high-level decision makers.  

• Opportunity to launch POC/MVP projects with ABB and explore new market opportunities. 

• Knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities with Synerleap, ABB’s Accelerator, and ABB Ventures (ABB’s corporate venture capital arm). 

• 1-to-1 60 min sessions with business experts (PM, R&D, Sales) to explore joint market opportunities. 

• Possibility to initiate collaborations, strategic partnerships or enter new markets with ABB. 

Who can apply? 

ABB Electrification and Motion are looking for innovative solutions to explore POC/MVP co-creations in data centre technologies, sustainability, efficiency, and materials leveraging start-up know-how and fast-paced innovation. 

ABB is particularly interested in the following focus areas: 

1. Cutting Down Space with Cool Tech for Data Centers

Disrupt Power/Energy Density in Data Centers: New Technologies in Cooling, Conductivity and Heat Reuse

Datacenter operators and owners are currently facing significant challenges with both space constraints and cooling loads, which not only impact sustainability but also create revenue challenges for ABB’s customers. ABB Smart Power is seeking start-ups with innovative cooling technologies that can help reduce the footprint of non-revenue-generating assets, ideally at the rack level or power distribution. ABB Smart Power is also looking to explore other technologies that can improve power density through novel approach towards conductivity, thermoelectrics or increase overall electrical efficiency via heat repurpose.

2. Driving product portfolio sustainability  

Products generate CO2 throughout their entire life cycle, which is typically captured through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), a requirement for operating in many markets. Creating EPDs involves a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), a process that is often complex and time-consuming. 

ABB Electrification Smart Buildings is seeking startups to collaborate on developing a comprehensive, user-friendly LCA solution for their suppliers. This final solution targers to be integrated with existing ABB systems, support product variant management, and automate LCA/EPD creation and verification. Additionally, the solution should manage all product-related sustainability and environmental footprint information, incorporating both internal and external data. The start-up should also provide automated analysis and improvement recommendations for various environmental product aspects. 

3. Elevating ABB Electrification Service Customer’s Online Experience                             

Online searching and web browsing for ABB product information and services can be a complex task due to the disparity of ABB’s online presence, and it frequently requires engaging with ABB customer support, which we aim to minimize. To simplify and increase efficiency for ABB customers in finding solutions to their product and service needs online, ABB is looking for startups to help develop a proof of concept (POC) for an advanced search engine that shall be publicly available. 

The AI-based tool should interpret real customer needs behind the asked questions, possibly allowing customers to ask contextualized questions, and propose one or more answers. It should be able to leverage multiple data sources and online tools to direct customers to the right ABB products and services without requiring direct engagement or Google searches. The tool should include visualization features to guide customers from the initial search to a structured request for quotation or even the quotation itself. The POC should specifically focus on spare parts identification. 

 4. Optimising market insights for sales and operations planning  

Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) helps balance demand and supply to meet business targets. A key input is understanding market conditions 3-12 months in advance to have intelligence for forecasting demand. Accurate market insights are essential for improving sales forecasts and optimizing operations, for example, production and inventory planning.

ABB Motion Drives is seeking a startup to collaborate on developing a Generative AI Solution to generate a daily or weekly summary of events and news from our focus markets to support the S&OP process. The summary should include both qualitative and quantitative analysis of trends, along with prescriptive recommendations for necessary actions. In addition to the summary report, we would like access to the underlying data, allowing us to ask clarifying questions in an AI chatbot -like interface about the events and news when needed.

5. Sustainable materials for ABB variable speed drives 

ABB Motion is seeking start-ups with solutions that will enable state-of-the-art variable speed drive with a minimal carbon footprint by using modern and/or recycled materials and components. The goal would be to find solutions to optimise material usage for lighter and environmentally friendly design, including product packaging. 

Please specify which specific topic/topics you are interested in in your application. 

EIC-backed startups and scaleups can apply here. 

Please acknowledge that the information you provide on the application form will be shared with ABB, which will select the participants based on its business interests and strategic goals. 

What happens after your application? 

The EIC team will contact all selected applicants once the process is finished. However, this contact does not include feedback or recommendations for those not selected. 

If selected, participants must be available for the entire duration of the programme, which includes the preparation phase (online training sessions, pitch checks, and business proposal reviews), the event days (in-person) on 25-26 June 2025 in Beragmo, Italy, and follow-up activities. Selected companies must be represented by C-level executives. Additionally, selected participants will be responsible for arranging and covering their travel and accommodation costs. 

All participants are expected to fill out a brief satisfaction survey shortly after the matchmaking opportunity and a business impact survey after six months. Failure to do so may lead to exclusion from future Business Acceleration Services. 

Cancellation policy 

Cancellations will only be considered in duly documented cases of "force majeure". Unjustified cancellation can lead to exclusion in future EIC Business Acceleration Services business opportunities. For additional information, please refer to our Helpdesk (please choose "EIC Corporate Day with ABB” as the subject). 

About ABB 

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalisation expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance while becoming more efficient, productive, and sustainable so they outperform. ABB calls this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history, and more than 105 000 employees worldwide. For further information, please click here. 

About the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme 

This call and service are part of the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme, an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services supporting EIC-backed companies looking to scale by securing new customers and business partners. To date, more than 1 500 EIC-backed start-ups and scale-ups, together with over 2 500 high-level representatives from more than 100 large companies, have taken part in the programme, resulting in significant impacts on organisations, tracking progress, and closing deals, often within 6 months. 

About the EIC Business Acceleration Services 

This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Business Acceleration Services. To explore other opportunities to connect with the largest corporations in Europe, keep an eye on our events page. 

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