Buy it!

The Sales Pitch for B2B Startups
Ended
Buy it!  is the startup sales pitch designed to help B2B startups get their products in front of enterprise customers. We know startups want something really simple: a fair chance to pitch game-changing products to the real decision makers. Buy it! makes that a reality. 

What are we looking for?

How to be eligible for this challenge:
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You were founded in or after 2009
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You are a B2B startup at your core
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Your startup has fewer than 250 employees
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Your solution is technology-based (not advisory/consulting)
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You're ready to deliver solutions to an established company

Focus Areas

Chemical & Materials
Consumer Champions
Industry 4.0
Logistics & Supply Chain
Travel & Mobility
Insurance & Finance
Other/ General

Briefing

** Deadline extended until 26.10 **

Hey Startup! Are you ready to find the next corporate customer for your B2B product?

Buy it! is the startup sales pitch designed for you. 

We know the usual story of closing that all important deal with a large corporate client can feel like jumping through a never-ending series of hoops. That’s why Buy it! is designed to be as simple as possible, removing all of the $#*! … and cutting straight to the chase! 

If you’re reading this right now then I’m sure you have a product you believe in that could deliver huge benefits to customers - they just have to see you. 

For the first edition of Buy it! we’re proud to be working with an incredible group of corporate partners from a diverse set of industries. They’re eagerly looking forward to seeing what you’ve got. When the application stage closes each of them will be inviting 5 promising startups for a private 30-minute video sales call with key relevant decision makers in attendance.

Buy it! is organised around a number of innovation focus areas which highlight the intersection between future-driving trends and the innovation interests of the campaign partners. Read on to find out more about our partners and focus areas!

About our Partners:

ALDI Nord - ALDI Nord is the number one discounter in Germany. Over 100 years of experience, more than 69,000 employees as well as branches in nine European countries display the success of the corporate company. Through Buy it! they are looking for new solutions to define the next generation discount by further improving the shopping experience for their in-store and online customers (ALDI liefert).

BASF - Combining economic success with environmental protection & social responsibility, BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future. We are looking for startups that can help address the big challenges facing the world today in food, housing & mobility. Within the Buy it! campaign we are particularly interested to discover new bio-degradable and/or bio-based technologies which can compete with well-established existing products.

BKK VBU - One of Germany’s top 30 health insurance companies, focussed on innovative products and services. With Buy it! they are hoping to uncover the next generation of digital solutions that can make a positive impact across many dimensions, from their customers to doctors and healthcare professionals.

Bosch Startup Harbour - The Bosch Startup Harbour is an accelerator program for early stage deep tech startups. It facilitates co-innovation with Bosch, partners and startups based on pre-defined focus topics in various domains including industry, mobility, energy and consumer goods.

Covestro - One of the world's largest polymer companies powering innovative solutions for everyday life. Through Buy it! Covestro are aiming to create engagements with startups and scale-ups who can work together with them to shape the future of the materials science industry and solve real world problems.

DB mindbox (by Deutsche Bahn) – The startup hub is the mediator between the startup-world and Deutsche Bahn (German Railway), Europe's biggest railway infrastructure and mobility provider. The main goal of the DB mindbox program is to enhance new innovations within the company to improve the business.

Deutsche Post DHL Group - Deutsche Post DHL Group provides an international service portfolio consisting of letter and parcel dispatch, express delivery, freight transport, supply chain management and e-commerce solutions. The Group employs approximately 550,000 people in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. We are looking for technologies to especially improve our operations with new automation and robotics solutions.

Deutsche Telekom - Leading communication service provider, shaping the digital world of tomorrow, actively driving the digital transformation.

Group Partnering - Within Buy it! Deutsche Telekom Group Partnering is particularly interested in identifying innovative solutions for “Campus Networks” (5G, ultra-low-latency use cases), Industry 4.0 and IOT services, which can enhance Telekom’s portfolio and capabilities to create value for industry clients worldwide.

TechBoost - Within Buy it! they are very interested in identifying early-stage startups with a cloud-based business model, lots of growth potential and whose legal entity is in Germany. Tech startups profit from the advantages of a partnership with Deutsche Telekom with sales and marketing support, access to the customer network and up to 100,000€ Open Telekom cloud credits.

Funk Gruppe - The largest independent insurance broker in Germany supporting companies in questions of insurance, risk management and pension provision. Funk Gruppe are always looking for promising young startups which can demonstrate the potential to revolutionise the insurance industry and help them promote new solutions to their own clients.

Rehau - A leading manufacturer of premium polymers with a fascinating world of potential applications for customers and end users. Through Buy It! Rehau will be looking to uncover promising startups which can demonstrate new digital business models that will make a big impact in future fields.

Swiss Re - A leading wholesale provider of reinsurance, insurance and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer. Swiss Re searches for startups with the potential to disrupt the typical practices of the insurance industry. They’re looking for new technologies in areas such as IoT and smart analytics.


About the Application:

As soon as the application stage launches on September 23nd you can complete our 10-minute application form using the link at the top of this page. All you need to do after that is sit back and wait for us to announce the winners!

 Focus Areas: 

In the application form we ask you to select the most relevant focus area from the list below. Each corporate partner will have a view of the most relevant areas to them, but selecting a certain focus area does not exclude you from being evaluated and selected by any of the campaign partners. 

Chemical & Materials - Help global players improve the performance of chemical products and introduce them to new technologies and materials.

Consumer Champions - Improve the lives of every consumer through smart solutions. How can global retailers better meet the evolving needs of their customers?  

Industry 4.0 - Design the fourth industrial revolution and create an intelligent networked factory - with lower costs and more efficiency. 

Logistics & Supply Chain -  Improve delivery, visibility, tracking and delivery times with new platforms and digital and physical solutions 

Travel & Mobility - Develop new solutions with mobility providers to get people from A to B faster, more effectively or more enjoyably

Finance & Insurance - Build the world of tomorrow for payments, financing, investment and insurance - together with the major market players. 

Other/General - Co-create the future with your B2B products & solutions that have more general applications. 


About Octorank:

Octorank is a company which develops startup scouting and startup campaign software. We regularly host startup challenges, campaigns & competitions in collaboration with our partners in the startup ecosystem. We also provide a full suite of solutions to support corporate companies looking to engage with startups. To find out more visit www.octorank.com


What's in it for you?

Have a video sales call with one (or more) of our partners

The Big Sales Call!

Have a video sales call with one (or more) of our partners
Each of our partners will nominate 5 startups to join them for a private 30 minute video sales call. Each partner will bring key & relevant decision makers into the room ensuring that a brilliant pitch can lead to greater things. 

Video

Project terms

Access the project terms(PDF) here.

Frequently asked questions

How many startups will be chosen to give a Video Sales Pitch?

Every corporate partner will choose at least 5 startups to invite for a video sales pitch. So that means at least 55 opportunities are up for grabs! N.B. startups could be nominated by more than one partner.

Who will attend a video sales pitch?

Video sales pitches are attended by whichever startup members will deliver the pitch and, from the partner's side, the relevant experts, innovation managers and key decision makers.

How will startups be chosen by the partners?

First, startups must meet the campaign's basic requirements. Then, specific interests of each partner can be found by reading the campaign briefing. The closer you fit to what they're looking for, the more likely you are to be selected!

Can I get investment through Buy it! ?

The focus of the Buy it! campaign is on creating new venture-client relationships between the campaign partners and well fitting startups. Of course other arrangements could develop after building relationships with our partners, but these remain outside the scope of Buy it!

Can I join as a corporate partner?

Depending on the status of the campaign there may still be a chance for further corporate partners to join, or engage with startups through other Octorank initiatives. Please get in touch with us to discuss the options.

My company doesn't fit to a focus area but would still be relevant to the partners. Can I participate?

Whilst most of our focus areas are designed for specific aspects of our partners' businesses we know that some fits are less obvious. For you, we have left an "Other" category open for your chosen focus area!

Who is behind Buy it! ?

Buy it! is organised and initiated by Octorank. Octorank are themselves a startup company with specialities in startup scouting & evaluation software and in helping the corporate world discover the startup world.

I got nominated/invited. What does that mean?

If you were lucky enough to be nominated/invited for Buy it! then congratulations! This means a startup scout, a partner or someone else in the Octorank network specifically named you as a relevant startup for Buy it! Nominated & invited startups are eligible for exactly the same treatment as any startup and may even receive special attention from certain evaluators.

My company is not yet established, can I still apply?

The purpose of Buy it! is to find startups who can quickly start a venture client relationship with one of our campaign partners. Therefore it's very unlikely that you'd be ready for this yet. If you think your context is an exception to this rule then please complete an application with an explanation of your circumstances.

How does the process of Buy it! work?

The Buy it! campaign was designed to simplify the process of forming new venture client relationships and this is reflected in how the campaign works. After you've submitted your application we will screen & evaluate your data. Representatives from each partner will then assess both the application and our evaluations in order to select 5 (or more) teams for a video sales call. In the meantime you just need to sit back and wait for us to share the outcomes, starting November 18th.

Do participating start-ups need to pay for anything?

No! There is no charge for startups at any stage of the process.

Timeline

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    Applications Open! 2020-09-29 00:00 CEST
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    Initial Application Deadline 2020-10-18 23:59 CEST
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    Extended Deadline Ends 2020-10-26 23:59 CET
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    Buy it outcomes shared with startups 2020-11-18 17:00 CET
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    Virtual pitch coaching session 2020-11-24 12:00 CET

About Buy it!

Buy it! is an online startup challenge brought to you by Octorank and their corporate partners. Octorank work with corporate companies to help them discover the bright and brilliant startups that become their amazing partners. To find out more about the products offered by Octorank, visit our homepage at www.octorank.com

Contact Us

Toby Chelton
Lead Startup Scout

Our Partners

Corporate Partners

Ecosystem Partners