BMW Group Startup Garage

About the BMW Group Startup Garage

The BMW Group Startup Garage is the venture client unit of Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW AG), headquartered in Munich (Garching). As the world's first venture client unit (founded in 2015), it identifies startups whose products, technologies or services offer substantial benefits for the products, services, systems and processes of the BMW Group. Startups are supported in a four-month pilot project to validate their technology in real BMW applications; in doing so, they receive an official supplier number and first purchase orders. Following a successful proof of concept, the collaboration is converted into a long-term supplier partnership. More than 6000 startups have been evaluated to date, including 280+ pilot projects with startups from 26 countries; more than 38 startups have become established BMW suppliers. The unit is part of the BMW innovation network alongside BMW i Ventures (venture capital) and the accelerator.

Site

München

Processes

Venture Client Program (4-month pilot projects), Startup evaluation (6000+ evaluated), Support through the BMW procurement process (supplier number, purchase order), Proof of concept support, Facilitation of long-term supplier partnerships

Materials

Automotive & Mobility, Fertigung/Manufacturing, IT & Software, Energy/Cleantech, Mechatronics & Hardware

Certificates

Evaluation according to 5 core criteria, Live demos with BMW specialist departments, Paid pilot projects (proof of concept), ISO certification

Founded

2015

Employees

11–50

Industries

Automotive, Mobility Services, Fertigung/Manufacturing, IT, Sales & Marketing, HR

1. 01

   Discover: worldwide startup scouting

2. 02

3. 03

   Purchase: procurement process with supplier number and first purchase order

4. 04

   Proof of Concept: 4-month pilot project with a BMW specialist department

5. 05

   Long-Term Partnership: transition into a long-term supplier relationship

Specialist Departments and Solution Areas

Locations

Selection Criteria

Evaluation takes place according to defined criteria: use-case relevance, prototype maturity, strength of the team, funding and legal readiness, supplemented by live demos with BMW specialist departments. From initial contact to final evaluation takes 4 to 8 weeks.

History

1. 2015

   Founded as the world's first venture client unit

2. More than 6000 startups evaluated; 280+ pilot projects with startups from 26 countries; 38+ startups became established BMW suppliers; over 50% of alumni received paid follow-up projects