Innovation

    RESPOND: 5 Years of Accelerating Deep-Tech Innovation

    Mar 20, 2025 - 3 min

    RESPOND, an initiative by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and operated with UnternehmerTUM, was launched five years ago with a clear mission: to catalyze innovation.​​This impact analysis reflects on five years of RESPOND and the achievements of the founding teams of our 50 portfolio companies. Drawing from our latest impact survey and research, we explore three key areas: (1) Spotlighting the innovations we’ve identified, (2) the systemic impact created by our startups, and (3) how RESPOND accelerates innovation for impact.​

    ABOUT RESPOND

    RESPOND Accelerator

    RESPOND promotes new ways of doing business. Through the accelerator program, we drive technological and business model innovation to accelerate the transition towards sustainability and net zero economy across different sectors and industries. This is critical to protecting our planet while ensuring economic prosperity for all. The six-month accelerator program is designed to equip entrepreneurs with a holistic set of skills that go beyond business and technology development.​

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    Our impact analysis in a snapshot

    • We’ve scouted 7,500+ solutions and assessed 1,700+ applications, selecting 50 startups working on game-changing technologies like green ammonia, battery recycling, and eDNA monitoring.
    • These innovators are tackling carbon-intensive industries in manufacturing, agriculture, and energy. Proudly, 58% of our diverse founding teams include female founders from 19 countries.

    • Our portfolio companies have created around 1,500 jobs, scaling globally and expanding into more than 120 countries across all continents.
    • While quantifying impact across cohorts is challenging, we‘re inspired by their ambitions. Our portfolio startups, which focus on emission reduction as their key impact metric, have the potential to cut at least 596 million tons of CO2e by 2030.
    • Collectively, the startups secured more than 100 patents and received approximately 385 million euros in funding.
    • Our portfolio companies and their technologies contribute to staying within a safe operating space across 8 of the 9 planetary boundaries.
    • ​90% of our startups state that the coaching during RESPOND was crucial in helping them scale and achieve impact.
    • 97% of our startups remain in contact with the community, even after the program.
    • 77% of our startups report that the visibility they gained significantly strengthened their positioning.
    • The program makes a difference, as evidenced by a Net Promoter Score of 9.7 out of 10, along with an average usefulness satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5.

    RESPOND: 5 YEARS OF IMPACT

    Download and read the full impact analysis now.

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    Do you have questions about the RESPOND program?

    Verena Finkenzeller
    E-Mail respond@bmw-foundation.org