TERMS AND CONDITIONS
When the Applicants submit the application form to participate in ZER01NE ACCELERATOR Program, the Applicants agree to the following terms and conditions (these “Terms and Conditions”) in relation to their application for, and if selected, participation in, the ZER01NE ACCELERATOR Program.
Definitions
• ZER01NE ACCELERATOR Program shall be referred to as the “Program.”
• Startup Incubation Team within Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation which operates ZER01NE ACCELERATOR Program and partially participates in startup selection process shall be referred to as the “Program Manager.”
• Internal teams, within Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation (including affiliates of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation) which derive and execute collaborative projects and participate in startup selection process shall be referred to as the “Program Sponsors.”
• Project teams of research institutions, registered and non-registered businesses or companies and teams of entrepreneurs and professionals submitting an application for ZER01NE ACCELERATOR Program shall be referred to as individually the “Applicant” and collectively the “Applicants.”
• Applicants who are selected for executing collaborative projects with the Program Sponsors shall be referred to as the “Participants.”
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to apply for the Program, the Applicants must address a critical challenge in one of the following areas within one of the fields provided below:
I. Mobility
A. SDV App Service
B. Infrared High-Transmittance Heating Solution
II. Sustainability
A. Non-Flammable Batteries
B. Battery Reuse/Recycling Solutions
C. Biodegradable Materials for Packaging of Vehicle Product/Parts
III. Logistics
A. Indoor/Outdoor Positioning Control System
Selection Criteria and Evaluation
To be selected as a Participant of the Program, it is expected that the Applicant will demonstrate a high degree of adherence to the following criteria:
1. Elegant Solution - clearly innovative or disruptive, differentiated from existing solutions, scalable, exhibits sustainable competitive advantage potential (with some barriers to entry identified), etc.
2. Seed ~ Series A stage preferred (Series B stage or beyond can also apply).
3. Quality Management – credible team, quality CVs, relevant qualifications/experience, etc.
4. Market Size - large addressable market to facilitate significant sales growth.
5. Business Plan – viable business model based on credible commercial & economic assumptions.
Selection in the Program and Indicative Schedule
Applications meeting the minimum criteria outlined in these Terms and Conditions will be reviewed by the Program Manager and Program Sponsors’ representatives for potential participation in the Program. The Program Manager and Program Sponsors’ representatives will contact the Applicants if more information or clarifications are needed about their application materials at any stage during the selection process. Selected Applicants will be shortlisted to take part in a short video interview. Based on application materials and the video interview, the Participants will be selected by the Program Sponsors for participation in the workshop.
The decision of the Program Sponsors on the selection of the Participants is final and at the sole discretion of the Program Sponsors.
The indicative schedule for application and selection process is as follows:
| Event |
Date (Indicative Only) |
| Applications Open |
Feb 17, 2025 |
| Applications Close |
Mar 9, 2025 |
| Application Review |
Mar 11, 2025 – Mar 24, 2025 |
| Interview Evaluation |
Mar 31, 2025 - Apr 11, 2025 |
| Final Selections |
Apr 21, 2025 |
Application Submission and Closing Time
The Applicant must submit its application and company introduction deck at
https://zer01nezone.kinsta.cloud/en/join-us/startup/ before the closing time for applications. The Program Sponsors may, in their sole discretion, consider an application submitted after the application closing time, but has no obligation to do so.
Preparation of Application
The preparation of application, and any risk or cost incurred in doing so, is the corresponding Applicants’ responsibility. Costs incurred at this stage cannot be attributed to the Program Sponsors.
Conflict of Interest
The Applicants must identify and notify Program Manager of any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest related to its application or participation in the Program, especially as the conflict relates to the Program Sponsors or the Program Manager. If the Applicant fails to notify Program Manager, or the Applicant is unable or unwilling to resolve the conflict as required by the Program Manager, the application may be excluded from further consideration.
Confidentiality
The applicant agrees to provide the information about its business or other affairs for the purpose of or in connection with the following (the “Agreed Purpose”):
• applying to participate in the Program;
• allowing the Program Sponsors to consider the application;
• its participation in the Program; and
• allowing the Program Sponsors to identify and commence separate discussions about potential commercial or legal relationships between the Applicant’s start-up and the Program Sponsors.
Each of the Program Sponsors agree to keep all information the Applicants provide to the Program Sponsors for the Agreed Purpose (the “Confidential Information”) secret and confidential and will not disclose the Confidential Information to any person without such Applicants’ prior consent or as otherwise expressly permitted in these Terms and Conditions. The Program Sponsors agrees to use the Confidential Information only for the Agreed Purpose, unless the corresponding Applicants give the Program Sponsor prior consent or it is otherwise expressly permitted in these Terms and Conditions.
This undertaking of confidentiality does not apply to the Confidential Information:
• which was known by the Program Sponsors prior to the Applicant providing the Confidential Information;
• which is or becomes available to the public (other than by unlawful means);
• which becomes available (other than by unlawful means) to the Program Sponsors from a source other than the Applicant and that source is under no obligation to the Applicant to maintain the Confidential Information in confidence; or
• which is required to be disclosed by the Program Sponsors by rule or law or by a court or other governmental body which has authority over the Program Sponsors or their affiliates.
The Applicants acknowledge that the Program Sponsors may disclose the Confidential Information to their affiliates, respective directors, employees and advisors for the Agreed Purpose, provided that such persons have first been made aware of the confidential nature of the Confidential Information and have agreed to comply with this confidentiality undertaking.
The obligations of confidentiality will continue for a period of two (2) years from the closing time for applications.
The Applicants also acknowledge that they may be required to enter into a separate non-disclosure agreement upon request by the Program Sponsors.
Ownership and Use of Applications
All applications (including all material contained in, or included in, those applications) become the sole property of the Program Sponsors upon submission. The Applicants must take all steps necessary or appropriate to give effect to, or perfect, the legal, and beneficial, ownership in their application (including all material contained in, or included in, the application) vesting with the Program Sponsors, including without limitation execution of any necessary instruments of transfer, assignment or license.
Intellectual Property Rights
By participating in the Program, the Participants confirm that the product or service solution is an output resulting from the Participants’ cooperation with the Program Sponsors and does not infringe or violate the rights of any third party, including but not limited to intellectual property rights.
The Applicants acknowledge that the management and protection of their intellectual property is their sole responsibility, both during the application phase and if selected as a Participant, during their participation in the Program. The Program Managers will ensure commercially reasonable steps are taken to protect intellectual property for both the Applicants and the Program Sponsors.
The Applicants agree that any technologies or intellectual property rights developed, acquired and/or owned by Program Sponsors before the Applicants’ participation in the Program shall remain the sole property of Program Sponsors.
Misleading Claims, Improper Assistance and Anti-Competitive Conduct
In preparing the Applicants’ application and participating in the selection process the Applicants must not:
• make any false or misleading claims, statements or other representations;
• engage in any collusion, anti-competitive conduct or any other similar conduct with any other person;
• receive improper assistance from any employee of the Program Sponsors or any representative of the Program Managers, or use any improperly obtained information; or
• violate any applicable laws regarding the offering of inducements.
The prohibitions stated above also apply to the Participants' conduct during the Program.
Program Sponsors Rights
The Program Sponsors reserves the right at any time and for any reason to do any of the following:
• suspend, vary, amend or cease to proceed with the Program selection process or Program;
• vary or amend the application form or evaluation criteria;
• consider and accept or reject any application that is non-conforming or received after the closing time for applications;
• vary or extend any time or date relevant to the selection process or the Program;
• call for new applications;
• terminate participation in the selection process by any Applicant;
• allow any Applicant to change its application;
• publish or disclose the Applicants’ company name, logo and brief description of the Applicants’ solution and activities, whether successful or unsuccessful; or
• take such other action that the Program Sponsors, at their sole discretion, consider appropriate.
Any time or date in these Terms and Conditions is for the Program Sponsors’ sole convenience and does not create an obligation on the Program Sponsors to take any action by such time or date.
SECTION TWO: CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM
Participation in the Program
If the Applicants are selected to participate in the Program, the Applicants’ startup must commit one representative to attend each event of the Program. The representative should be either the Chief Technology Officer (or equivalent) (the “CTO”) or the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) (the “CEO”) to maximize the benefit to the Program Sponsors and the Participant. If a Participant is unable to have one of its representatives attend the workshop, the Program Sponsor may forfeit the Participant’s place in the Program. Upon becoming one of the Participants of the Program, the Applicants shall:
• give consent for the Applicants’ business, company name, logo and brand as well any media collected during the program, including but not limited to photos, videos and recordings, to be associated with the Program and used by the Program Sponsors and Program Managers to promote the Program or themselves;
• obtain written consent of the Program Sponsors and Program Managers prior to issuing any press releases relating to the Program, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld;
• share requested information about the Applicants’ company and products with the Program Sponsors. Confidential Information will be subject to the confidentiality undertakings in section one;
• commit to scheduling and attending periodic inter-event calls with startup peer Participants in the Program and with startup mentors (i.e., representatives of Program Sponsors and potentially external parties who share an interest in the Program with Program Sponsors and Program Managers) in the Program;
• actively participate in each event and inter-event discussions;
• participate in a Program evaluation after completion of each event.
Termination and variations
The Program Sponsors reserves the right to terminate a Participant’s involvement in the Program at its sole discretion if:
• the Participant breaches these Terms and Conditions; or
• if the Participant’s representatives, officers or advisors engage in an inappropriate (as determined by the Program Sponsors or by Program Managers) or illegal behavior or are disruptive to overall group cohesion.
Participants will be given prior notice before they are terminated from the Program.
The Program Sponsors may also terminate or make some changes (e.g. milestones, scope of work etc.) in relation to the Program, in each case for any reason at any time. The Participants will be given notice of such termination or changes.
Acknowledgment, waiver, indemnity and warranty
The Participants acknowledge that their participation in the Program is at their sole risk. The Participants may withdraw from the Program at any time. The Program Sponsors and Program Managers will have no liability to the Participants or any of their respective affiliates, employees, officers, or advisors for any loss or damage arising in connection with the Program, including personal injury (however arising including due to negligence), property damage or economic loss (except in relation to a breach of the confidentiality undertaking in section one). The Participants must not make a claim against the Program Sponsors and Program Managers for any such loss or damage and will continually indemnify, hold harmless and release, the Program Sponsors and Program Managers from and against any such claim, loss or damage.
Each Participant further acknowledges, agrees, warrants and represents that:
• by accepting these Terms and Conditions, the Participant accept that all application decisions made by the Program Sponsors are final and that the Participant will not challenge the outcome in public or otherwise;
• (i) to the best of the Participant's knowledge and belief, no claim is being asserted and no proceeding is presently in progress, pending or being threatened against the Participant or any of its assets, (ii) neither the Participant is in default in relation to any contractual obligation, nor has the Participant done or omitted to do anything that could materially and adversely affect its position as a going business concern, and (iii) the Participant neither has filed for nor is facing proceedings for winding up of business, dissolution, insolvency, bankruptcy, or the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, administrator or similar officer in relation to any of the Participant's assets or revenue;
• the Participant will immediately notify the Program Sponsors and Program Managers in writing when: the Participant (i) undertakes or commences any action or files any documents for its dissolution; (ii) applies for insolvency or bankruptcy, (iii) is administratively or judicially declared insolvent or bankrupt; or (iv) is placed under receivership, administration, rehabilitation or liquidation;
• the Participant has full capacity, authority and relevant consents to execute and perform the obligations under these Terms and Conditions.
