On 19 September 2018, FIA Region I organised a panel discussion to ‘learn how to boost your connected vehicle start-up with IMPACT Connected Car’. The session was held in the framework of the ITS World Congress in Copenhagen, that for the first time ever hosted a start up area, and addressed start-ups and SMEs attending the Congress.

The main objective was to promote the IMPACT Connected Car second call for funding that aims to support the development of companies offering products and services for connected cars.

Speakers included Diego Rodriguez from CTAG, who presented the IMPACT Connected Car project, Maria Slebo Freund from Insero, who presented a partner’s perspective, Robert Nordentoft from Trafficnow and Demetrio Rodriguez Tereshkin from Parkbob, who presented the objectives and current activities of their respective start-up companies. Both companies reported on how IMPACT Connected Car accelerated their business idea and sustained their business processes. The session was moderated by Olivier Lenz, Programmes Director at FIA Region I.

IMPACT Connected Car run its first call for proposals in 2017 and received more than 500 applications, from which 14 start-up companies, which remained at the end of the selection process. Trafficnow and Parkbob are two of the start-ups getting support from the IMPACT Connected Car project.

FIA Region I, one of the partners in this project, is committed to disseminate the Call and encourage relevant stakeholders to join the IMPACT Connected Car call for proposals and support mobility innovation. To this end, the panel sought at approaching experts and potential investors that could accompany IMPACT Connected Car start-ups in their growing process.

In the discussion, participants identified the access to data as the largest and most critical challenges in the development of the connected car sector. The panel was an excellent opportunity to engage relevant stakeholders in an hour discussion on the connected car topic, one of the four priority policies of the FIA Region I.

IMPACT Connected Car is an acceleration programme led by ISDI. IMPACT Connected Car is led by FundingBox and offers start-up companies a six-month acceleration programme. It will distribute up to €2.1 million equity free.

Further information can be found here.