Up to 8 participants will have the opportunity to workshop their solution with VARTA® Automotive and its parent company Clarios* with The Future Charge Open Innovation Challenge over the course of one month. 

The Open Innovation Challenge will consist of a series of events that will run over November and December.

Virtual Kick off (online)
Onboarding for finalists where you'll get introduced to the problem and use cases. 

Bootcamp Days (in-person)
As a finalist, you'll be invited to a design thinking workshop your ideas with Clarios representatives around their VARTA®  Automotive brand. This is your opportunity to better understand the requirements of the VARTA® Automotive ecosystem and develop your value proposition. There will also be coaches and experts to help support you on business topics to support your final pitch to VARTA® Automotive and Clarios. 

Ideation Sprint (online)
You'll have a week to fine tune your solution and prepare for the demo day. 

Pitch Day (in-person)
Each team will present their solution. A chance to meet and network with executives and representatives from VARTA® Automotive and parent company Clarios. There will be up to 3 winners; one winner will receive one POC with VARTA® Automotive its parent company Clarios.

We're looking for applicants who are open to collaborate with our client over several weeks on prototyping or enhancing new or existing ideas to drive the new innovation wave of low voltage battery solutions in the automotive environment.

Apply if you're any of the following:

• Entrepreneur/tech talent / researcher/ bright mind interested in piloting your ideas
• Startup, business or company that has a working prototype or a developed solution that’s been tested in the market.

You are ideally based in EMEA, but exceptions are possible.

We’re looking B2B and B2B2C solutions for low voltage battery solutions that can enhance the digitization, user and buyer experience, and circularity of the battery supply chain. 

Technologies from the areas listed below are encouraged:

• Low voltage battery solutions
• Customer service optimization 
• Data utilization
• Predictive maintenance & diagnostics
• Digital solutions
• Fleet management software and service solutions
• Predictive analytics
• Personalized services
• Energy management and optimization
• Telematics
• Connectivity
• Streamlining workflow and procedures
• Advanced analytics and AI
• Battery maintenance systems (BMS)

• Finalists can be in Berlin for the design thinking bootcamp days (28 + 29 November) and the pitch event (6 December)
• POC program will be implemented in Germany
• This is a Hybrid training and POC Program. There will be an in-person & virtual components. The kick-off and Demo Day will be held in person in Berlin, Germany, while the rest of the programme will take place in a virtual setup.
• English is the working language