Toyota Opens Funding Programme for Start-Ups offering Inclusive Mobility and Sustainability Solutions
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) and ISDI Digital Business School have launched the second edition of the Toyota Startup Accelerator funding programme, calling for entries from startups developing innovative solutions for inclusive mobility and sustainability.
A UK startup business, SociAbility, was one of the four winners of the first Toyota Startup Awards, in 2020, for its work in providing reliable and accurate accessibility information for disabled people.
A jury formed of top executives and experts from TME and ISDI will choose up to five entrants, who will participate in the six-month programme, starting in October this year. The start-ups will receive funds to develop their proofs of concept with Toyota, which they will pitch at a demo day in May 2022. The programme is supported by ISDI Accelerator, the largest entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in Europe.
The Toyota Startup Accelerator aims to tap into European startups’ potential and encourage innovative solutions in four fields:
Mobility for All: micro mobility assistance solutions that will improve the lives of less able people, to ensure nobody is left behind in mobility.
Carbon Neutral Circular Economy: concepts in the area of carbon capture and utilisation (chemicals, fuels, minerals), including storage techniques, in order to go further than zero emissions by reversing the CO2 gap to reach a carbon neutral society.
Circular Economy of Plastics: new ways of repairing, reusing and recycling plastic materials and components for circular business models, to address plastic waste by promoting initiatives to reduce virgin material use.
Life Cycle Footprint Ecosystem: LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) tools to help product suppliers deliver accurate and up-to-date solutions to help customers to be more aware of their footprint and daily product choices, to increase awareness of products’ climate impact throughout their life cycle and provide product suppliers with more efficient and accurate assessment tools.
The winning startups will be awarded funds for further development of their projects and TME may offer them an opportunity to engage in further collaboration.
“Toyota Startup Accelerator fully reflects our Beyond Zero commitment to go further, creating innovations and initiatives that improve people’s movement, lives, society and the planet. And, in partnership with the ISDI Accelerator programme we want to provide a launch pad for like-minded innovators,” said Monica Perez Lobo, Head of Sustainability and ESG at Toyota Motor Europe.
Interested candidate startups are invited to apply here, by 14 September: https://accelerator.isdi.education/toyotastartupawards/
More in Community Building
A Growing Desire for Better Business
The Better Business Ecosystem is raising awareness and showcasing the wide variety of ways businesses can have a more positive impact on society, communities and the environment, by embedding great business practices across their companies.
Why joining a community of business leaders can enhance your reputation and credibility
I read a LinkedIn post recently that reassured business owners that if they’d managed to keep their businesses going during recession, Brexit, COVID and the cost-of-living crisis that they deserved a huge pat on the back and shouldn’t ‘beat themselves up’. Easier said than done when costs are rising and doing business seems to get harder rather than easier, but the sentiment was well-placed.
Why it’s important for Business Leaders to be exposed to new...
Nobody likes a ‘know it all’ and let’s face it, there’s no such thing. At the other end of the scale, many of us don’t create enough time to take on board new ideas, innovation and creativity in whatever format. How many times have you been recommended to read a book, get sent the link, go on Amazon, maybe even buy it but it just sits on your bookshelf? Come to think of it, as an aside, just think about that for a second….I wonder what the actual percentage of books purchased are actually read? Frightening thought!
From this author
The new Toyota Corolla Commercial
Toyota has launched the new Corolla Commercial, the UK and Europe’s first van to use self-charging hybrid electric power.
Toyota supports humanitarian efforts to help Ukraine emergency situation
Toyota has started to provide humanitarian assistance to those who are suffering. This includes direct assistance to Toyota’s Ukrainian employees and their families and to Ukrainian refugees, as well as corporate donations up to approximately 2.5 million euros.
Toyota launches cross-Channel rail freight service to cut emissions from its...
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has started transporting new cars by cross-Channel freight train services between its Valenciennes vehicle logistics hub in northern France and the major UK rail depot at Toton, in Nottinghamshire. This is the first phase of its pan-European plan to move a larger number of vehicles by rail freight in line with its ambition to decarbonise its logistics operations.