SPRIND BiTS Cohort 2026

You might already see a problem that matters. A bottleneck holding back progress. A technology that should exist but doesn’t yet. The question is not only how to solve it yourself – but how to create the conditions for many teams to solve it, faster.

That is the role of a Challenge designer. SPRIND Challenges are multi-stage innovation competitions designed to solve civilization-scale problems by backing visionary teams with the funding and support to advance their solutions. Challenges are missions with a clear, measurable goal and the pace and flexibility needed to maximize the chances of reaching it. The Challenge format embodies the multiple shots on goal paradigm, increasing the probability of success.

This model works. The internet, mRNA vaccines, and self-driving cars all came from government-supported coordinated research programs and challenges that shared one feature: they were led by a deep technical leader with a high degree of autonomy and willingness to take a step back from the bench into a role with higher leverage.

SPRIND designs and deploys different variations of the Challenge model depending on the topic and scope. Examples include:

• The €40M Circular Biomanufacturing Challenge (36 months) developing continuous fermentation for manufacturing.
• The ADR 2.0 Funke – a faster, lower-budget format (15 months, €5.7M) that enables more iteration in less time when technology evolves too rapidly for traditional multi-year Challenges. Launched in partnership with Sweden's Vinnova.
• Technologically broad challenges like quantum sensing (€85M) that require bundled instruments – combining Funken and Challenges with additional targeted SPRIND project funding.

There is currently no clear pathway for technical visionaries to gain the skills and support needed to design programs like these. That gap is what the SPRIND x BiTS accelerator is built to address.

SPRIND is partnering with Renaissance Philanthropy on the Big if True Science Accelerator (BiTS) to train technical leaders to design large-scale Challenge programs.

This cohort of BiTS lasts 4 months (July to November) and is (10h/week) centered on 1:1 mentorship from experienced DARPA program leaders and the SPRIND Challenge team, bringing experience from the around 20 SPRIND Challenges launched to date. It distills the knowledge required to move from an early technical intuition to a fully specified Challenge design. At the end of the program, fellows pitch their Challenge program designs to SPRIND, its partner Vinnova (the Swedish Innovation Agency), leading foundations, and other committed funders at demo day (ExhiBiTS) in early November.

Past BiTS fellows have launched programs at SPRIND to advance continuous monitoring of female hormones and the use of microbial consortia in biomanufacturing. The strongest designs from this cohort may move toward implementation. Up to 10 fellows will be selected.

Register for our webinar on May 26th

Application Deadline: 7th of June Selection & Interviews: Week of June 22nd Kick-off: July 13-15 Demo day (ExhiBiTS): November 5th ahead of Falling Walls

This program is not about incremental progress within a single discipline. It is for scientists and technologists who want to shape entire technological trajectories. Our desired candidates go beyond scientific excellence. They combine strengths across multiple domains – such as academia, startups, industry, or investment – and have the ability to translate emerging ideas into structured, executable programs. Many of the people who thrive in this role reach a point in their careers where technical insight alone is no longer the limiting factor. The limiting factor becomes coordination – aligning talent, funding, and timelines around a clearly defined technological mission. We are looking for those who recognize that shift, and want to operate at that level of leverage. Applicants from around the world are welcome, particularly those interested in building the future within the European ecosystem.

Renaissance Philanthropy is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fuel a 21st-century renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists and innovators. The organization designs time-bound, thesis-driven funds led by field experts and inspires talent to take action through playbooks and communities. In the first year, Renaissance Philanthropy catalyzed more than $214M in philanthropic funding for science, technology, and innovation, launching 10+ initiatives across AI, education, climate, health, and scientific infrastructure.

SPRIND (Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation) is Germany's innovation agency, founded in 2019 to create breakthrough innovations that make our lives noticeably and sustainably better. Based in Leipzig, SPRIND brings together new thinkers from science and industry, creating spaces where people can take risks and think radically differently. SPRIND supports innovators through flexible funding instruments including Challenges (multi-stage innovation competitions) and Funken (faster-paced competitions). Since its founding, SPRIND has launched around 20 Challenges addressing major social, ecological and economic challenges, from drone technology to circular biomanufacturing.

Vinnova is Sweden’s Innovation Agency, a government authority under the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. Vinnova funds and drives needs‑driven research and innovation and mobilises cross‑sector collaboration. The agency actively enables experimentation and radical innovation by creating space for new ideas to be tested, learned from, and developed before becoming commercially viable.