Imagine a world where cars drive themselves, drones deliver packages, and everything moves smoothly without traffic jams! The EIT Urban Mobility Scale-Up programme is helping make this futuristic world a reality. Held on June 19-20, the kick off meeting of this programme was all about supporting cool new startups that are creating amazing new ways to get around.
EIT Urban Mobility Scale-Up programme
The EIT Urban Mobility Scale-Up programme is like a big helping hand for startups working on smart mobility solutions. These startups get to learn from the best through workshops, online classes, and webinars. They receive special coaching from experts who know the ins and outs of the business world. Plus, they get to meet investors who can help their ideas grow even bigger. The programme is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a part of the European Union. Partners like CARNET, PowerHUB, UnternehmerTUM, Fraunhofer IAO, and NFF are also backing this fantastic initiative.
The Adventure for Startups Begins
This year’s adventure started with an exciting kick-off meeting in Prague. From over 100 applications from 27 countries, 12 super-talented startups were chosen. Here’s a fun fact: 63% of these applications came from women founders! This is especially awesome because the mobility sector usually has fewer women leaders.
In Prague, the founders met each other and started their journey together. They presented their startups to the programme partners, made new friends, shared experiences, and built a strong community. Keywords like community, networking, drones, autonomous vehicles, peer learning, climate frustration, ESG, fail fast and cheap, empathy capture the spirit and excitement of this first meeting.
Learning and Growing Together
As they move forward, these startups will join online learning sessions. They’ll dive into topics like how to grow their business into new markets, find funding, design great services, and measure their impact. It’s like going to the coolest school ever, where you learn all the secrets to making your startup a big success!
Networking is a huge part of the programme too. The startups will meet industry partners and investors at big international events like Engaged Investments in Prague, Tomorrow Mobility World Congress in Barcelona, and a final Demo Day in Munich. These events are like super boosters for their businesses, offering them huge opportunities to shine.
The Road Ahead
These startups are the future stars of mobility in Europe. Supported by top-notch accelerators, including those recognized among Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs by the Financial Times, they are on a path to make a big impact.
As their journey continues, we can’t wait to see how they transform the way we move. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as these innovative entrepreneurs drive us towards a smarter, more connected future of mobility!