This result represents a 10% increase compared to the previous edition, which received 883 applications. The startups have submitted 1,297 projects to address the challenges and needs of the 100 participating Basque corporations and SMEs.
The proposed solutions aim to optimize industrial and management processes, improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and open new business opportunities. Following the analysis of applications, advancing startups will present their solutions for evaluation based on each organization's specific requirements.
The negotiation phase between finalist startups and companies will commence on November 26th to define the projects to be developed. The selection process is scheduled to conclude in April 2027. Selected startups will undertake paid pilot projects in collaboration with leading partner companies.
They will be integrated into an immersion program within the Basque industrial and innovation ecosystem, featuring networking sessions, mentoring, and specialized workshops. This support will enable them to validate their solutions and establish connections with potential regional clients. The outcomes will be presented at the annual BIND Demo Day event on July 1, 2027.
This edition marks the highest international participation to date, drawing applications from five continents. Spain leads with 189 startups, followed by Italy, France, Germany, the United States, England, and Argentina. Foreign applications total 777, representing 80.4%.
The call also highlights the rise of Basque technological entrepreneurship, with 66 Basque startups submitting applications, an increase of 13.8% from the previous year. Of these, 27 are from Gipuzkoa, 24 from Bizkaia, and 15 from Araba.
The 100 partner companies have defined 11 sets of use cases across four domains: smart industry, efficient organization, energy and sustainability, and commercialization. Each startup could submit up to three solutions, resulting in 1,297 pilot project proposals.
The applications have combined various technologies to meet the demands of the partner companies. Artificial intelligence has been the most utilized (703 startups), applied in task automation, predictive maintenance, and logistics optimization, among others. Following AI are software solutions, big data, IoT, and 'Clean Tech' and 'Energy Tech' technologies.
BIND is a public-private open innovation platform for smart industry, established by the Basque Government through the SPRI Group and the Basque entrepreneurship ecosystem platform. It currently collaborates with over 100 SMEs, public companies, and key reference firms based in the Basque Autonomous Community.
The initiative was created with a threefold objective: to accelerate the development of startups within the Basque industrial ecosystem, foster competitiveness through business innovation, and position Euskadi as a hub for advanced industrial entrepreneurship. Since 2016, the BIND platform has supported over 275 startups and developed more than 400 projects.
