What SynerLeap does

SynerLeap is a wholly-owned open innovation platform of ABB, headquartered in Västerås, Sweden, at the site of ABB Sweden's headquarters. Founded in September 2016, the platform connects startups and scaleups working in industrial automation, robotics, energy, decarbonization, data center infrastructure, industrial AI, and adjacent sectors with ABB's electrification, motion, and automation business units. Its core offering is a two-tier membership program — an Aspirant tier (six-month exploratory membership) and a Full tier (18-month execution-focused membership) — with additional paid desk and room rental at a 1,100 square meter collaboration hub in Västerås. The platform also maintains a Senior Startup Advisor network covering geographies including Saudi Arabia, Greater China, and Southeast Asia, and has built an ecosystem of 16+ named partners spanning Hitachi Energy, Microsoft, Snowflake, Sandvik, RISE, and various Swedish regional and governmental agencies.

The underlying technology is a structured open-innovation intermediation layer rather than a proprietary software product. The platform operates a deal-sourcing and curation engine — scouting, application vetting, and matching startups to ABB business challenges — followed by pilot execution, proof-of-concept management, and pathways to commercial partnership, strategic investment, or acquisition. To date, SynerLeap reports 290+ pilots completed globally, 250+ curated startups in the portfolio, and 15+ closed investments. There is no evidence of in-house software IP, APIs, or proprietary AI/ML models; the platform's value is delivered through human-led program management, physical co-location, and structural access to ABB's research, business, and supplier networks.

The business model is subscription-based membership fees paid by member startups, supplemented by ancillary real estate fees. Pricing is provided on request and not publicly disclosed. SynerLeap functions as a sales-led, application-based GTM: startups apply to join, are vetted, and progress through tiered programs aimed at producing pilots that can convert into commercial partnerships or acquisitions. As a wholly-owned ABB subsidiary with a team of 11-50 (many of whom are reportedly ABB employees), SynerLeap operates primarily as a strategic corporate innovation vehicle rather than an independently scaled commercial business; its financial results are not separately disclosed and no independent funding rounds are reported.

Name

SynerLeap

Legal name

SynerLeap

Website

https://synerleap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SynerLeap is ABB's wholly-owned open innovation platform, based in Västerås, Sweden, connecting startups in industrial automation, robotics, energy, and AI with ABB's business units through tiered membership programs and structured pilot-to-partnership pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Västerås

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Startup Membership Fees: SynerLeap generates revenue through membership fees charged to startups and scaleups. There are two membership tiers: Aspirant member (six-month membership for elaborating collaboration possibilities) and Full membership (18 months aimed at executing a collaboration project). Additional fees apply for renting dedicated desk or room space at the innovation hub.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

SynerLeap operates ABB's open innovation platform, connecting industrial technology startups with ABB's global ecosystem through structured membership tiers (Aspirant and Full). The platform facilitates pilot projects, commercial partnerships, strategic investments, and potential acquisitions across ABB's electrification, motion, and automation focus areas. It serves as a bridge between early-stage innovators and ABB's industrial scale, resources, and customer base.

Product overview

SynerLeap is ABB's open innovation platform that provides structured membership programs connecting startups and scaleups with ABB's industrial businesses. The platform offers two membership tiers: Aspirant membership (6 months) for exploring collaboration possibilities, and Full membership (18 months) for executing collaboration projects. The platform facilitates connections across electrification, motion, and automation sectors, enabling startups to access ABB's scale, expertise, and global reach through pilot projects, proof-of-concepts, and commercial partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aspirant Membership A six-month exploratory membership tier that allows startups to validate their technology and explore potential collaboration opportunities with ABB's business units and industrial ecosystem.
• Full Membership An 18-month execution-focused membership tier designed for startups ready to scale, including deeper integration with ABB, support for pilot projects, access to commercial partnerships, and potential pathways to strategic investment or acquisition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 290+ pilots completed globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered notable, supporting and core.

• Hitachi EnergynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerHitachi Energy serves customers in utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions across the value chain. They have a proven track record and installed base in more than 140 countries with approximately $10 billion USD in business volumes.
• MicrosoftnotableTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft enables digital transformation for the intelligent cloud and edge era. Through the Microsoft for Startups Program, they help cloud-based B2B startups grow and scale through a global ecosystem of customers and partners.
• SnowflakenotableTechnology or IntegrationSnowflake's Data Platform is a global network where thousands of organizations mobilize data with near-unlimited scale, concurrency, and performance. They provide data infrastructure for member companies.
• SandviknotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandvik is a global high-tech engineering group providing solutions that enhance productivity, profitability and sustainability for manufacturing, mining and infrastructure industries with revenues of about SEK 86 billion.
• Pyramid AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationPyramid provides a unified Business & Decision Intelligence Platform delivering insights for faster, more informed decisions, combining Data Prep, Business Analytics, and Data Science in a single environment.
• HoltabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoltab is a fast-growing company within the energy sector focused on renewable energy, EV-charging, energy storage and power transmission solutions for over 50 years.
• Level 21 ManagementsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLevel21 combines understanding of different ecosystem perspectives as entrepreneurs, investors, and global enterprise. They bring execution engine expertise for building successful operations.
• ABB (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABB is the parent company powering SynerLeap. SynerLeap is ABB's open innovation platform, helping ABB innovate with startup speed and mindset while leveraging ABB's scale, expertise, and global reach.
• Västerås StadsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Västerås, home to ABB Sweden's headquarters and the SynerLeap innovation hub.
• Mälardalens UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner supporting the innovation ecosystem.
• Automation RegionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomation industry cluster organization supporting automation applications in the region.
• RISE Research Institutes of SwedensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSweden's research institute and innovation partner with 3000 employees and over 100 testbeds and demonstration environments.
• ALMIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish state-owned business lender and partner supporting innovation and growth.
• VinnovasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish government agency funding research and innovation.
• RobotdalensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative supporting robotics innovation and commercialization.
• Region VästmanlandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development council supporting business growth in Västmanland county.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Siemens Next47: Siemens AG's open innovation / venture client platform focused on industrial automation, digital industries, and mobility startups. Direct functional analogue to SynerLeap: a corporate parent's startup scouting, pilot, and investment arm operating under a similar membership-style engagement model.
• Bosch Startup Harbor: Bosch's open innovation program connecting startups to Bosch business units across mobility, industrial, consumer goods, and energy. Direct corporate-parent innovation peer to SynerLeap with a comparable scout-pilot-invest structure.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: One of the largest global corporate innovation platforms, running vertical-specific accelerator programs with major industrial and enterprise partners. Overlaps with SynerLeap's model of brokering corporate-startup pilots and partnerships, but at materially larger scale and multi-vertical.
• Microsoft for Startups: Microsoft's startup engagement program offering cloud credits, go-to-market support, and connections into Microsoft's enterprise customer base. SynerLeap already counts Microsoft as a partner; functionally a comparable corporate-startup bridge program serving B2B scaleups.
• SAP.iO: SAP's corporate startup program (SAP.iO Fund and SAP.iO Foundries) investing in and accelerating enterprise-software startups integrated with SAP's ecosystem. Comparable corporate-venture-client model for enterprise/industrial software founders.
• Schneider Electric Innovation Hub: Schneider Electric's open innovation and venture arm (including Schneider Electric Ventures) engaging startups in energy management, automation, and sustainability. Directly competitive industrial-tech corporate innovation peer.
• Hitachi Innovation Center / Hitachi Ventures: Hitachi's corporate innovation and venture arm operating across industrial, energy, and digital infrastructure. Notably already a SynerLeap partner (Hitachi Energy), but functionally a direct peer in industrial-vertical open innovation.
• Lufthansa Innovation Hub: A large industrial corporation's internal open-innovation vehicle (Lufthansa Group) investing in and partnering with travel/mobility/industrial-tech startups. Same corporate-innovation-platform archetype as SynerLeap, applied to a different parent vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Startupbootcamp (Rainmaking): Global accelerator network running industry-specific corporate-backed programs (including industrial/energy tracks) connecting startups to enterprise partners. Broader incumbent in the venture-client accelerator space that overlaps SynerLeap's pilot/partnership model.

Emerging players

• Alchemist Accelerator: Enterprise-focused accelerator working with corporate partners on industrial and B2B startups. Partial overlap with SynerLeap's B2B/industrial-tech focus but as a third-party accelerator rather than a single-corporate open-innovation platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/synerleap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SynerLeap