Intelligent Mobility Accelerator 6th cohort open call is now live

The Intelligent Mobility Accelerator, a programme for start-ups with innovative solutions to improve the UK transport system, is now taking applications for its 6^th cohort.

What is the Intelligent Mobility (IM) Accelerator

The Intelligent Mobility (IM) Accelerator is a partnership between Connected Places Catapult and Wayra UK, Telefónica’s Open Innovation Hub. The programme is designed to support and guide disruptive start-ups with high-growth potential into the UK transport industry, helping them grow into world-leading companies. 

This year’s programme is also supported by Department for Transport, Network Rail, Transport for London and Amey, who will provide support to the selected start-ups, including mentoring, coaching, and access to their high-level expertise and networks. 

The challenges we are focusing on this year are:

• Decarbonising Mobility,
• Improving Experience and
• Connected Mobility. 

By uniting the most disruptive technologies in this space with key stakeholders, we will together develop solutions for the most pressing transport problems facing the world today. Such innovations will improve the day-to-day life for millions of travellers whilst creating new industry leaders in a £1.3 trillion global transport systems market. 

The IM Accelerator offer 

Companies accepted onto the programme will receive six-months of support delivered for the most part virtually. This support includes access to data and Connected Places Catapult’s mobility subject matter experts to further develop and test your solutions. The selected companies will also be immersed into Wayra UK and Connected Places Catapult’s networks of investors, government agencies, corporates, and universities. Alongside additional benefits such as office space in central London. 

Who are we looking for? 

To apply for the programme companies need to: 

• Fit the areas of interest 
• Have a digital product or service to sell 
• And have at least one active pilot or client 

Our success so far  

To date, the IM Accelerator has generated 32 commercial pilots for the 44 start-ups that joined the programme. Combined, these start-ups have raised over $260M in external investment.  

A notable success is kerbside management and mobility technology firm AppyWay, who received strategic investment from Hyundai and the Sumitomo Corporation as part of their £7.6 million Series A round. Alumni company Spark EV, an electric vehicle range prediction technology company received support to trial their technology on Hyundai’s electric vehicles. These were both a direct result of AppyWay’s and Spark EV’s participation in the accelerator. 

Words from the people behind the programme 

Alex Weedon, Director of SME Development & Academic Engagement at the Connected Places Catapult said: “The future of transport impacts our lives and our environment more than anything else. Using technology and innovative business models to create a cleaner and more efficient ways of connecting us holds the key to decarbonisation, creating growth and improving wellbeing. The IM Accelerator plays an important role to this end, not just through showcasing the art of the possible but by supporting real commercial opportunities that enable new products and services to come to market and move us a step further to that future.” 

Bruno Moraes, Managing Director at Wayra UK, said: “The Intelligent Mobility programme has had a long-standing presence in the UK ecosystem and supported multiple start-ups and corporates to develop business together. Innovative mobility solutions can have a very strong impact in our environment, our lives and society. Through driving development in the space, we show our commitment and that of our partners to this important sector. We invite all the start-ups who with innovative solutions to the programme challenges to apply. ” 

If you are a company, VC, or anyone else in the space that have what we’re looking for, send your solutions our way! 

If you are interested in applying, register for our application support webinar on 31st March, to assist with any questions you may have.