Schutz

Start & Pulse Startup Challenge

Let's accelerate together!

Pioneering spirit at Creditplus

Why we do the Start & Pulse challenge?

The challenge serves to enter into long-term cooperations with startups, from which both sides benefit. The basic idea: Creditplus gains access to innovative solutions, while the startups benefit from an established partner to test new products and services on the spot and position them directly in the market.

How does that work? By setting up an initial MVP together in a 3-month paid cooperation project and, beyond that, being interested in an ongoing development of our collaboration.

Start & Pulse Startup Challenge 2023

Your impact on Green Transformation

At Creditplus, sustainability and growth are in harmony. Environmental protection and social responsibility are central goals of the bank. We grow with our challenges and rely on the innovative strength and pioneering work of startups when it comes to living corporate responsibility in the three areas of environment (E), social (S) and good corporate governance (G).

We want to make a significant contribution to the sustainable transformation of the German economy. That's why we're looking for startups to help us become a sustainable bank with new approaches we haven't considered before.

How can your startup support our mission?

To apply you will be forwarded to the external application platform of our partner Germantech.

Your solution to our Green Transformation Mission

This category evolves all around our core topic: banking and financing. Are you offering a solution which challenges the status quo and integrates sustainability? Possible areas could be:

Making (internal) banking processes more sustainable
Revolutionizing the lending process/product for B2B and B2C clients
Providing clever financing solutions with a focus on sustainability
Looking at investments and savings with a sustainability lens

Let’s face it: if we don’t track what we do, we don’t know our impact. Therefore, we want to look at solutions in this category that help us to deep dive into our sustainable actions. You might be in one of these areas:

Providing carbon footprint assessment, offset or trading related to financial topics
Motivating employees to track and be sensitive to their carbon footprint
Supporting companies with the creation and management of ESG reports
Prediction and assessment of climate risks

Lächelnde Frau an ihrem kreativen Arbeitsplatz

We want to help our clients embracing the change, being sensitive to resources and grow with them. The question in this category is: How can we help clients to become aware of and managing the transition towards “green”. Possible areas might be:

E-Mobility: revolutionizing the charging infrastructure based on innovative financing models
Consumption: helping consumers to adopt green consumption behaviors
Energy renovations: breaking down the barriers of advising and financing energy renovations

Designer applaudieren während einer Sitzung

What can you expect besides a great partnership?

First Place

3-month paid MVP project worth 25.000 Euro and 5.000 Euro award money

Second Place

3.000 Euro award money and the opportunity to realize a joint project

Third Place

2.000 Euro award money and the opportunity to realize a joint project

Four steps to our joint Green Transformation MVP project

Submit application

Submit your participation via our application form. The deadline is 24th February 2023 11.59pm. After the closing date, we create a selection of the top 25 startups, who have applied for the Start & Pulse challenge 2023 and fit to our green transformation mission.

Introduce your startup

Get to know the Creditplus innovation team in a 20 minute video call. Pitch your startup and your green transformation solution. If you impress us, you will make it to the Top 10 and we will meet on site at our Start & Pulse Pitch Day.

Pitch your solution

Present your startup at Start & Pulse on 3rd May 2023 in Stuttgart. Take the
chance to sharpen your Green Transformation solution in the morning during a speed dating session with our experts. Stand up to your competitors and convince our management jury on stage in the afternoon.

Start paid MVP

After celebrating your win and our collaboration at Start & Pulse, we will get right down to business. We will plan our kick-off and get started with the conception of our joint MVP, which we will launch together in an agile process within 3 months.

Who’s behind Start & Pulse?

Open innovation program of the Crédit Agricole Group

Creditplus belongs to Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance (CACF) and is a leading European retail credit provider, located in Stuttgart, Germany. Creditplus has a strong focus on providing retail partners from the automotive, home & living and consumer electronic space with innovative financing solutions. As subsidiary of the French banking group Crédit Agricole, CACF is one of the largest European banks.

By participating at Start & Pulse, a format within the international Open Innovation Programme of the Crédit Agricole Group, you get the chance to scale your product throughout Europe.

Impressions from past Start & Pulse Pitch Days

Revolutionizing Digital Partnerbanking Services

In order to realize its vision of being 100% digital and 100% human, gaining absolute customer centricity, Creditplus was searching for innovative technologies and solutions along the customers credit onboarding process. As well as solutions that enable the long term vision of relocating the credit approval process in virtual rooms or at least mixed environments.

Pitch Day Video 2022

Past success stories

Virtual Reality platform for enterprises

VRdirect is a no-code Virtual Reality platform that enables large organizations to easily create, manage, and publish immersive VR content for every use-case and every device.

"The Pitch Day was a great (and fun) opportunity to have productive and goal-oriented conversations from minute one and to efficiently shape the following collaboration to solve real needs of the company. If everyone understands the benefits and how it can support own individual work processes, passion and ideas thrive new projects and initiatives. Within the very professional format Start & Pulse this is considered from the very beginning."

Sara Boss - Director Key Account Management

Thanks to VRdirect, you can discover Creditplus Bank for yourself in a virtual tour using a smartphone, tablet or VR glasses.

Customer service evolution via chatbot

Neohelden, as part of msg systems ag, operates a digital AI assistant or chatbot called "Neo" for various business processes and tasks in different industries.

"Participating in the S&P event was a great and lasting door opener for us in the banking sector. The cooperation with Creditplus is very pleasant, constructive and at eye level. We gained many insights into the banking environment through the cooperation with Creditplus. Just recently, we were able to win another new customer because of this event. We would definitely participate again in this very well organized and professional event.”

Dr. Kiryo Abraham – Head of Digital Assistance Systems, Chat and Voicebots

Creditplus also uses Neo! With Neo, dealer communication is optimized - intelligently and efficiently, as dealer appointments are recorded digitally and logged automatically.

Service experience with conversational AI

Solvemate's AI chatbot, now part of Dixa, automates customer service using conversational AI to improve the service experience of any business.

“Throughout the past two years in which we have had the pleasure of working with Creditplus, it has been a very fruitful and constructive partnership. We always receive precise and objective feedback to further improve our services and product alongside their needs and requirements. Creditplus has further shown to be very curious and goal oriented when it comes to testing out new features and exploring the value for their internal processes and user facing parts of their products and services. I am happy that we have taken part and can recommend it to any other startup!”

Erik Pfannmöller - Co-founder and CEO

The AI chatbot is available 24/7 on the Creditplus website for customers and those who want to become customers.

What is Start & Pulse?

What is Start & Pulse Challenge?

Start & Pulse Challenge is a competition event that aims to ﬁnd the perfect collaboration ﬁt between an ambitious startup and Creditplus bank, in order to realize a MVP-project together. The highlight of the Challenge is the Start & Pulse Pitch Day.

The competition is structured in 4 phases:

1. Application: The startups have the possibility to apply via the competition website.

2. Selection: Creditplus and its partners select – in a two step process – the TOP 10 startups. The first step includes the selection of 25 qualified startups by the end of February 2023. Second, this list will be further evaluated and the TOP 10 will be invited to the Pitch Day on the 3rd May 2023.

3. Pitch Day: On the 3rd May 2023 the Creditplus Start & Pulse Pitch Day will take place. On this day the TOP 10 will be invited to present their product/solution and connect to different department representatives of Creditplus. A renowned Jury will evaluate the TOP 10 and select the TOP 3 winners. The first place will receive a 3-month paid MVP project worth 25.000€ and 5.000€ prize money. The second and third place will receive 3.000€/2.000€ prize money. A cooperation with the second and third-placed company is also conceivable.

4. MVP Project: Following the Start & Pulse Pitch Day, a kick-off meeting will be scheduled with the winner to go into more detail on finding a MVP solution and to discuss the next steps. The average time until integration is 3 months.

When are you ready for collaboration with Creditplus?

You have an existing founding-team.
You bring the capabilities to realize a MVP.
You have a prototype and/or product that basically works.
Your company is incorporated.
Your company is registered in the EU.
You have at least a validated problem-solution fit.
You fulfill current legal, data and IT-security requirements as required by the country your company is registered in.

Do you have to pay a fee to apply?

No. We do not charge any fee for your application. Should you be selected as one of the TOP10 and invited for the Pitch Day, you need to cover travel expenses to Stuttgart, Germany.

When is the final decision?

The winners will be selected by the Jury at the Pitch Day in May 2023.

What are the evaluation criteria for Start & Pulse 2023?

The Jury and evaluation partners will base their decision upon these main criteria:

Financials/Business Model
Team
Customer Understanding
Problem/Solution Relevance
Traction
Cultural Fit with Creditplus
Motivation for Collaboration with Creditplus

Your startup is not in the banking industry. Can you apply?

Yes, you can. The format does not address startups of a speciﬁc industry segment but any startup with a promising product/solution, team and mindset within the overall theme “Green Transformation”. So the opposite is the case, startups from outside the industry who can describe why their solution is a great addition for Creditplus, are very welcome. We have listed “Green Transformation” subcategories on the website for your guidance. However, as mentioned above, if you demonstrate why you should be included, we will definitely consider you.

Your startup has already participated in a previous edition of Start & Pulse. Can you apply again?

Yes. Re-applications are allowed in case your company does fit to this year’s topic “Green Transformation” and the subcategories as described on the website. However, you also have to fill out the application completely and follow the selection process like any other applicant.

Is Start & Pulse an accelerator?

No, Start & Pulse is a competition event that aims to ﬁnd the perfect collaboration ﬁt between an ambitious startup and the Creditplus bank, in order to realize a MVP-project together.

What about money? Does Creditplus buy your product or does the Bank invest?

The MVP-project you enter in collaboration with Creditplus after the Start & Pulse Pitch Day, if you win, is paid. The MVP-project is seen as the start of a long-term cooperation in the sense of a customer-supplier relationship.

What can you expect at the Pitch Day in May 2023?

The one-day program will give you the chance to meet Creditplus and like-minded ambitious entrepreneurs. The Creditplus Management and different departments will join on this Pitch Day and we will create sufficient time for networking and discussions. The format comprises different interactive sessions, working sessions as well as the pitching event and award ceremony.

Will the Pitch Day be virtual?

The Pitch Day will take place physically and you have to be present in order to represent your startup and to qualify for a prize.

What is the application deadline?

You can start applying from 12th January 2023 onwards via the application form until 24th February 2023, 11.59pm.

What languages should you use for the application? What language is used in the MVP-project?

For the application and selection process, as well as the Pitch Day we use English. For the MVP-project both, English and German, is possible.

When and how can my startup apply?

You can start applying from 9th January 2023 onwards via the application form until 24th February 2023, 11.59pm.

Will you be remunerated for your participation?

Please refer to the section: What is Start & Pulse 2023?

What happens after Start & Pulse Pitch Day?

If you win, you will go into a 3 months paid MVP-project in collaboration with Creditplus. Also, the ﬁrst three places of the Start & Pulse Pitch Day will receive a prize money. By participating you will proﬁt from the won media attention and new business contacts, also after the event.

What happens during the MVP-project? How long is the MVP-project?

The MVP-project will last about 3months. There you will go through Creditplus’ fast track innovation process, which is a speciﬁcally developed process. Your product and technology will be tested in an applied use case together with Creditplus.

Whom can I contact in case of questions?

We are working closely with our project partner GERMANTECH for the Start & Pulse award. For any questions you can contact Linda Lichel who is responsible for all Start & Pulse Challenge related questions: startandpulse@german.tech.