Automotive Technology Incubators and Accelerators by Big Auto

This is a list of Big Auto-supported incubators and accelerators that are championing innovation and working with startups on everything from connected mobility to autonomous vehicles and smart city solutions. Before we get to the list, a bit of the backstory that explains why Lucep is writing about cars and automotive technology.

Lucep was recently selected as one of the eight startups included in Mercedes-Benz-backed accelerator Startup Autobahn’s second batch in Singapore.

The eight startups (Lucep, Apvera, Botbot.Ai, Glass Security, Joytu.be, Mentorica, Overlay, and Woke) will be working on solutions that can be used by Mercedes-Benz as part of their automotive technology testing and research. Don’t be surprised if your car buying process is soon powered by Lucep technology.

It got us thinking about how the rest of the automotive sector is engaging tech startups and nurturing them. So here’s a roundup of all the Big Auto-supported incubators and accelerators for startups that are developing automotive technologies of the future that you will see in your vehicles very soon.

Auto technology incubators

1. Startup Autobahn:
Collaboration between Daimler and US accelerator Plug and Play, created to bring young startups and established industrial companies together to find synergies between their business models and test innovative new technologies.

Website: http://www.startup-autobahn.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StartupAutobahn

Contact person: For startups – Daniel Dilger or Andy Toth. For corporate – Sascha Karimpour.

2. Startup Autobahn Singapore:
Part of the Daimler initiative, but as a separate corporate co-innovation platform powered by Mercedes-Benz, and supported by the National University of Singapore. The focus of this initiative is on areas such as customers, automotive retail, aftersales, and corporation and infrastructure management. Lucep, as an AI-driven customer happiness company, comes in under the first category of ‘customers.’

Website: http://www.startup-autobahn.sg/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sas_nolimits

Contact person: http://www.startup-autobahn.sg/#people

3. Lab 1886:
Daimler’s innovation lab, established in 2007, is their “germ cell of a global innovation ecosystem” through which they find, test and roll out new business models and technologies for group companies. In addition to Startup Autobahn, the other network of Automotive technology incubators that come under Lab 1886 are located in Stuttgart, Berlin, Beijing, and Silicon Valley’s Sunnyvale.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lab1886

Apply: North America – http://mbrdna.com/contact-us/

Contact person: Matin Ebrahimchel (CEO – Lab 1886)

4. Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator:
Jaguar, also a Lucep customer, supports startups developing automotive technologies, with a particular focus autonomous driving, connectivity, computing, intelligent interfaces, and 3rd party services.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlrincubator

Apply: https://www.f6s.com/jlrilabs

Contact person: Danielle Alexander, General Manager, Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator

5. BMW Startup Garage:
Supporting startups with an innovative technology, product or service that can make a significant contribution to BMW Group vehicles, services, factories and systems.

Website: https://www.bmwstartupgarage.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMWStartups

Apply: http://www.bmwstartupgarage.com/partner

Contact person: Ana Carolina Alex, Lead, Startup Programs

6. Techstars Mobility:
This Ford accelerator invests in startups building technologies and innovative business models that impact how people and goods move across all modes of transportation.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/techstars

Apply: https://www.techstars.com/apply/

Contact person: John Beadle, Partner Manager

7. AIDC:
Another Ford incubator located in South Africa, the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) has launched several initiatives in partnership with local governments and OEMs.

Website: http://www.aidc.co.za/

8. GM Ventures:
General Motors is skipping the whole accelerator bit and directly investing in growth stage startups. GM Ventures says that it is enabling tomorrow’s

technologies today, and “provides our partners with an ideal platform for commercializing innovation in the global transportation industry.”

Website: http://www.gmventures.com/

Contact person: Investment Managers – Josh Berg, Rohit Makharia, Jason Nolte, Sean Simpson

9. DRIVE Automotive Technology Incubator:
Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup mobility accelerator founded by Mayer Cars and Trucks Ltd is selecting startups working on areas including sensors and computer vision, the shared economy and smart city solutions, urbanization applications, machine learning and autonomous vehicles, predictive analytics and business intelligence, fleet management, mapping and parking, etc.

Website: https://www.drivetlv.com/

Apply: https://www.drivetlv.com/contact

Contact person: Omer Shachar, Founding Partner

10. The Transparent Factory:
Volkswagen’s famous glass factory in Dresden, Germany, which is now a tourist attraction and showcase for the company’s ‘future of mobility’ initiatives, also houses their innovative startup mobility programme under the company’s “Future Mobility Incubator” start-up scheme.

Website: https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/en/incubator

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vwmanufaktur_en

Apply: https://www.glaesernemanufaktur.de/en/incubator/application

Contact person: Executive Directors – Prof. Dr. Siegfried Fiebig (Managing Director), Dirk Coers, Kai Siedlatzek

11. HAX Urban Air Mobility:
Partnership between Schenzen, China-based HAX and Airbus, the Urban Air Mobility accelerator supports early-stage startups that are working on aerial transportation vehicles and technologies. HAX is an SOSV accelerator, itself funded by some of the rocket fuel that has made SOSV a global fund with over $300 million in assets under management.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hax_co

Contact person: BP@hax.co

12. Lear Innovation Center:
Lear Corporation’s Innovation Center in Detroit is housed in a historic building designed by Gordon W. Lloyd, that once housed the Brown Brothers Tobacco Company. The center serves as a space for students and businesses to come together with policymakers to make their ideas and dreams come true.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/learcorporation

Contact person: StudioD@lear.com

13. TAMO:
Tata Motors’ incubating center of innovation towards new technologies, business models and partnerships in order to define future mobility solutions.

Website: https://www.tamo.co.in/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OfficialTamo

Contact person: pressoffice@tamo.co.in

14. Connected Mobility Incubator:
Partnership between Renault and Paris Incubateurs, created to expand cooperation between Renault and automotive technology startups working on technologies for R-Link and Renault’s connected vehicles.

Website: https://incubateurs.parisandco.com/Startup/Offre-Incubation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paris_Incub

Apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerTmHddiiKWnxed-H3O90rbgsIgEN3dpkjC4UO5bg9br26TQ/viewform

Contact person: Jean-François Galloüin, CEO of Paris Incubateurs; Nicolas Nollet, Sales & Marketing Strategy Director of Renault.

15. Toyota Innovation Hub:
Located in the SF Bay Area, TIH combines Toyota’s North American design studio with collaborative projects to improve the human mobility experience.

Website: https://toyotaconnected.co.jp/en/news/2020/0701.html

Apply: Email to contact@toyota-ih.com

16. Honda Xcelerator:
Run by Honda Innovations, the open innovation arm of Honda, this program offers to fund for rapid prototyping, a collaborative workspace, and pairing with Honda mentors.

Website: http://xcelerator.hondainnovations.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HondaInnovation

Apply: http://xcelerator.hondainnovations.com/

Contact person: Dennis Clark, Managing Director, Strategic Venture Partnerships