Orange Belgium launches the 5th edition of its start-up accelerator program: Orange Fab BeLux

On March 21, registrations will open for the 5th season of the Orange Fab BeLux start-up Accelerator Program. Three selected start-ups will receive support from Orange experts and access to the operator's network for six months. The goal is to build a long-term business partnership with innovative start-ups such as OTIV, Iristick, and MyPitch, the three previous winners. This year's theme is to develop new experiences (AR/VR/metaverse) on the Orange multigigabit network, focusing on the new shop and retail experiences, entertainment, sports technology, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

BeLux start-ups access global multigigabit networks

Orange Fab is the biggest international corporate start-up accelerator. By joining this program, selected start-ups will benefit from the support of Orange experts, access to networking and distribution assets, develop exclusive contracts with Orange business units and customers, increase their visibility and unlock unique opportunities within the global Orange Group. Worldwide, Orange has accelerator programs in 22 countries, covering four continents. In Belgium, since 2016, Orange Fab has received 251 applications leading to 13 accelerated start-ups and five signed partnerships.

Health and Cybersecurity as an extra focus for 2022

For this 5th edition, the program reinvents itself and proposes a theme of the here and now: new experiences focusing on the new shop and retail experiences, entertainment, sports technology, cybersecurity, and healthcare. Augmented reality, virtual reality, and the metaverse will be highlighted for six months and will constitute challenges the candidates will have to deal with. The objective is to develop a business-oriented innovation project in collaboration with Orange and offer innovative and disruptive experiences to end-customers in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Global success stories

Over the last six years, the Orange Fab BeLux program resulted in several success stories. CommuniThings, accelerated in the first edition, has led several partnerships with Orange over the years, combining its IoT offer with Orange's sales force. Today, the start-up is expanding internationally. OTIV, last season's winner, has made its solution 5G-compatible by using Orange's test environment. Thanks to the advice of experts, it now has various partnerships at the European level. Iristick and MyPitch are the other two start-ups that won the previous edition on 5G.

"At Orange Fab BeLux, our goal is to build win-win business partnerships between start-ups in Belgium and Luxembourg and our Orange ecosystem players," explains Werner De Laet, Chief Enterprise, Wholesale & Innovation at Orange Belgium. "We help start-ups meet their challenges with a tailored approach (workshops, training...) by opening up all the Orange Group's opportunities and giving them access to our multigigabit networks on fix and mobile, a playground with endless possibilities. They also get access to rich insights and our distribution channels. Together with them, we can leverage the Orange Group's international scope."

Practical information

Applications to join the 5th edition of Orange Fab BeLux are open from 21 March 2022 to 20 April 2022. The operator will then select five start-ups who will participate in the pitch competition at the beginning of June in front of a jury composed of Orange executives and start-ups experts. The laureates will then join the program for six months, from June to December, and will develop new projects together with Orange teams.

For more information, visit the Orange Fab website.