The long-established company Knorr-Bremse also recognizes the innovative power of startups and is now participating in the UnternehmerTUM accelerator program.
Knorr-Bremse, the manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles, is looking for innovative startups. The company hopes to find them through a future cooperation with TechFounders, the accelerator program of the UnternehmerTUM.
Focus on digitalization activities
The new round of the TechFounders program launches in summer 2018 and brings together industrial companies and startups. Ideally, both sides can benefit from each other: startups from the coaching of successful industrial companies and their networks, and established companies from the agility and creativity of young startups.
"The TechFounders program accelerates our digitalization activities both technologically and culturally. The Knorr-Bremse values of entrepreneurship, technological excellence, and passion are reflected to a high degree in the young experts and founders,"
emphasized Klaus Deller, Chairman of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG.
Selected startups that make it into the 20-week accelerator program can further develop their product in close collaboration with Knorr-Bremse's innovation and development departments—or other industry partners—and also utilize the company's infrastructure. This includes, among other things, the commercial vehicle winter testing grounds in Arjeplog, Sweden.
Get to know innovative ideas early on
The added value for companies Lorenz Hartung, Managing Director TechFounders, as follows:
“The motivation for corporations is to fill their innovation pipeline in this way, to get to know startups and thus have the opportunity to learn about innovative ideas at an early stage and to develop them further together with the startups.”
And the added value for startups? Product development, sales partnerships, access to corporate knowledge or suppliers – opportunities that can be crucial.
