We are your gateway
into the automotive
industry

▶︎ Play Video

We are looking for
startups ...

... with an innovative technology, product or service that can make a significant contribution to BMW Group vehicles, services, factories and systems.
... that want to demonstrate the value of their solution to the automotive industry by integrating it with a BMW Group vehicle, service, factory or system.
... that aim to become a major player in the global automotive market.

Search Fields

We are looking for innovations within the following areas.

Development

More
Explore our Search Fields

Production

More
Explore our Search Fields

Services

More
Explore our Search Fields

Enablers

More
Explore our Search Fields

Circular Economy & Sustainability

More
Explore our Search Fields
01 – 4

Why partner with the
BMW Group?

The BMW Startup Garage is a startup's gateway into the multitrillion dollar automotive industry. We are looking to partner and become the early adopting venture client of top startups that can make a significant difference to innovation @ the BMW Group.

Acquire a premium client

More

Acquire a premium client

The BMW Group becomes your Venture Client: we buy a first unit of your technology to validate it @BMW – in our vehicles, services, factories or systems.

Retain your IP

More

Retain your IP

No worries! We do not strangle you with complex contract obligations. You will retain all your Intellectual Property. There are no exclusivity obligations.

Use cutting-edge tools & cars

More

Use cutting-edge tools & cars

Get access to our labs, factories, systems and (very cool) vehicles to pilot your innovative solutions directly at the BMW Headquarters.

Learn from the world's best

More

Learn from the world's best

You will work directly with our top engineers, the users of your technology, and get valuable feedback from them. You will also learn from our managers how to scale your solution @BMW.

Build your automotive network

More

Build your automotive network

We will connect you with those key decision makers you need to grow your automotive business– from R&D to manufacturing, purchasing and sales.

Become a global player

More

Become a global player

The BMW Group is a leading provider of premium mobility products and services, including some of the world’s top brands – BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce. With us as your client, you are a truly global player.
  • The BMW Startup Program is definitely unique because it’s really well organized. It’s pretty tightly, coupled with internal structures of the BMW Group itself, what really helps to do the matchmaking which is a key at many engagements.
    Felix Heide CTO, Algolux
  • I've seen lots of startup innovation efforts from lots of companies, none better than the BMW Startup Garage. They understand both sides, the startups and the company's and they are not just scouting innovation but actually making sure it gets implemented.
    Richard Ahlfeld Founder, Monolith
  • The BMW Startup Garage has been a great partner for Embotech, guiding us through the process from early discussions to PoC and onwards. Through the Startup Garage we got access to several departments within the BMW Group and a visibility that would be very difficult to get otherwise. It has also given us a view into the BMW Group's development processes and decision making, which was paramount for our success in the project.
    Andreas Kyrtatos CEO, Embotech AG
  • Clear, well structured, transparent and extremely fast processes help startups to quickly and directly work together with the relevant business units and build a long-term relationship with the BMW Group.
    Christian Piechnick CEO, Wandelbots
  • Partnering with the Startup Garage has been a great experience. They connected us with teams across the BMW Group - teams that want to accelerate delivering on BMW's global data exchange vision by building real-time data applications with Vendia.
    Shruthi Rao Co-Founder & CBO, Vendia
  • The ability to work with BMW Startup Garage folks, to understand the point of contacts from different departments, it would have been impossible to do that by ourselves.
    John Xin CEO, Lunewave
  • With the support of the BMW Startup Garage, fast-growth companies are markedly changing the future of mobility and automation. Our participation in the program has led to fantastic opportunities for networking and collaboration with innovators and visionaries around the globe.
    HanBin Lee CEO, Seoul Robotics
  • Working with BMW Startup Garage has been an exceptionally positive experience for Hazy as the team clearly understands how to work with transformational technology companies like us. The success of our pilot is thanks to the fantastic support and great people who have allowed us to make data provisioning for testing within BMW's Credit Risk Rating team more than 10 times faster. This is a huge opportunity for us to put synthetic data at the heart of BMW's innovation programme.
    Andrew Keen Chief Operating Officer, Hazy Ltd.
  • You get to work with their innovation people, and then they do a great job of bringing in people from other product divisions.
    Randall Correll Head of Enterprise Collaboration and Services, QC Ware
01 – 9

Modules

What can you expect?

Our program is your fast track into the automotive industry. It allows you to validate your solution, learn about the automotive industry and network with key decision makers.
▶︎ Play Video

Build from concept to pilot

More
This module is to conduct a Proof of Concept (POC) project, like creating a prototype with our vehicles, piloting a mobility service or a system in our factories or facilities.

Learn how the automotive world works

More
Here you will learn how to succeed in the automotive world. You will learn about industry dynamics and how development, manufacturing and purchasing works.

Network within BMW and the industry

More
You will get linked to those people that are key to grow your business within BMW and the global automotive industry.

Sell with a compelling automotive business case

More
This module helps you gain traction for your solution by creating a compelling automotive use and business case.
01 – 5

Who are we?

We are a globally connected diverse team.
  • Bernhard is an expert in automotive purchasing and digitalisation and has years of experience as a project lead at MINI and Rolls Royce and as purchasing lead with a focus on BMW Groups commodities.

    Bernhard Horst
    Head of BMW Startup Garage
  • Her strong purchasing background enables Melanie to improve the onboarding process for startups and to support them in becoming longterm suppliers for BMW. Furthermore, she is also responsible for communication and events organization.

    Jia-Yi Melanie Tang
    Startup Program & Partnership Manager
  • During her Master’s studies in Mechanical Engineering, Alexandra co-founded a tech startup. At the BMW Group she developed a profound understanding of automotive industrialisation.

    Alexandra Renner
    Startup Lead, R&D
  • With over a decade of automotive experience gained at the research-, series development- and production departments of BMW, Michael brings strong technical expertise to the team. He makes sure, that the right startup is connected to best fitting business unit within BMW.

    Michael Ta
    Startup Lead, R&D
  • After graduating with a Master’s in Business Information Systems, Toni helped shape BMW Group’s vision for future mobility within corporate strategy and then gained international experience in innovation management when he created the BMW Digital Lab in Mexico.

    Toni Plöchl
    Startup Lead, R&D
  • With his background as an Industrial Engineer and assignments in various divisions of the BMW Group, David brings expertise and practical experience in the BMW production system as well as in IT to the team.

    David Gutjahr
    Startup Lead, Production Systems
  • Coming from a strong background in global IT and technology innovation management, Sabine brings innovative IT solutions to BMW Group.

    Sabine Breuer
    Startup Lead, Group IT Systems
  • Matthias began his career in electronics R&D at BMW before transitioning to working with the BMW supplier network. With years of experience at this interface, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of the organization and its supply chain. Currently, Matthias plays a crucial role in the procurement organization as the lead for newcomer relationship management. Drawing from his extensive network and deep knowledge of the organization, he is well-positioned to excel in this role and drive continued success for BMW.

    Matthias Göbel
    Startup Lead, Purchasing and Supplier Network Digital
  • Carmen, an accomplished architect, possesses exceptional skills in architectural design. With extensive international experience as a project lead, she has been instrumental in transforming initial concepts into realized environments. Carmen spearheads all real estate-related innovations and startup projects, with a particular focus on sustainability and digitization. She specializes in developing solutions for energy and CO2 reduction, as well as utilizing Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) materials.

    Carmen Gargioni
    Startup Lead, Real Estate Management
  • Stefan is skilled in business development, automotive engineering, continuous improvement and business strategy in various fields of automotive mobility. He developed a deep understanding of the Japanese startup environment and local automotive industry.

    Stefan Lutz
    Head of Technology Office, Israel
  • With extensive knowledge of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and a wealth of global automotive experience, Jingzhe possesses a deep technical understanding that is invaluable to China’s startup ecosystem. Her unwavering dedication to promoting BMW Startup Garage’s collaborations and activities in China, and her ability to bridge the gap between startups and BMW Group, make her an invaluable asset to our team.

    Jingzhe Zhang
    Startup Lead, China
  • As a professional with a deep technical background and a passion for innovation, Xiaohang excels at connecting startups with the right business units. By leveraging her expertise and industry knowledge, she facilitates seamless collaboration between both and drives successful outcomes.

    Xiaohang Zhang
    Startup Lead, China
  • Yukki with strong background of various IT system design and buildup projects, and has rich experience in digital related solution. She developed a deep understanding of startups environment in China.

    Yukki You
    Startup Lead IT, China
  • Julian gained extensive experience in business development and innovation management in Asian markets and is an expert on the Korean automotive industry and startup ecosystem.

    Julian Klaus
    Head of Technology Office, Korea
  • With her strong background in purchasing and supply chain management at the BMW Group, Shinae provides deep insights into the innovative Korean startup ecosystem.

    Shinae Kim
    Startup Lead, Korea
  • After working in the Silicon Valley and having founded his own company, Bernhard is very familiar with the startup culture. On top of that, with his 20+ years’ experience in the automotive industry and an engineering degree in Precision Engineering and Microsystems, he brings strong technical expertise to the team.

    Bernhard Schambeck
    Head of Technology Office, Japan
  • Yama has strong expertise in automotive interiors and HMI technology, but also excels in motorcycle, aircraft, and urban air mobility. NTN communications, quantum computing, and digital topics are also in his field.

    Yamashita Yusaku
    Startup Lead, Japan
  • As a car enthusiast and engineer, Shitij is passionate about revolutionary technologies in the Automotive space, with a focus on autonomous cars. With a technical background in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, I have experience in establishing successful automotive startups and driving business revenue growth through innovative marketing and product differentiation. Having worked and lived across different countries, I am adaptable, culturally aware, and thrive in diverse collaborative teams. Key interests: Autonomous Vehicles, IoT, Robotics, Sustainability.

    Shitij Rastogi
    Startup Lead, USA
Mountain View
Munich
Tel Aviv
Shanghai *
Seoul
Tokyo
* Visit the BMW Startup Garage China on the corresponding website , or contact via email.

What do you
need to know?

Is the BMW Startup Garage an accelerator?

My startup is not automotive. Can I apply?

What about money? Do you buy our technology or do you invest? How much?

What happens after the program?

What happens during the program? How long is the program?

What is a Venture Client? How is it different to Venture Capital?

What is the application deadline?

What is the BMW Startup Garage?

What languages should I use for the application? What languages is used in the program?

What startups are we looking for and what are the Must Haves to partner?

When and how can my startup apply?

Why is the BMW Startup Garage located in Munich and do we have to re-locate?

Do you have a question that has not been answered here? Send us an email, we are happy to get back to you.