The BMW Group has set itself ambitious goals to increase sustainability. To achieve this aim, the company is inviting startups worldwide to participate in the Open Call 360° Sustainability Challenge.

Collaboration with young companies can play a key role in promoting the use of innovative technologies. That is why the BMW Group launched the BMW Startup Garage back in 2015 and is now taking the next step with the Open Call 360° Sustainability Challenge.

“We are looking forward to receiving applications from business founders around the world. We have believed for a long time that startups have a key role to play in helping us shape individual, connected and sustainable mobility,” says Bernhard Schambeck, head of BMW Startup Garage.

The Challenge defines seven innovation areas in which startups can put forward their products and solutions: Recyclable Materials, Sustainable Supply Chain, Energy-efficient Production, Mobile Intelligence, Intelligent Building Management, Customer-centric Mobility, Sustainable Technologies. There is also a “wild card” option for exciting topics that do not fit into any of these categories.

The BMW Startup Garage will evaluate all innovations submitted. The startups chosen will be invited to pitch their solution in late July, with the chance to win the BMW Group as a client. The final winners will be recognized at the IAA Mobility in Munich in September. The decisive factor in selecting startups and determining whether they move on to the next round is how the solution contributes to sustainability at the BMW Group in the defined innovation areas.

The winning startups will gain access to the BMW Startup Garage’s venture client programme. Candidates will have the chance to learn more about the programme and the seven areas they can apply in during a one-hour virtual event held from 4-5 p.m. on 11 May. Registration for the Challenge is now open on the BMW Startup Garage website. All applications must be received no later than 28 June.