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We are the open innovation platform that connects startups with industry-leading corporate partners to pilot their technology and drive the ultimate goal: a successful production-ready implementation.
STARTUP AUTOBAHN’s flagship event returns to Stuttgart for its 14th edition under the motto „Tomorrow in Motion“.
On our platform, startups gain access to industry-leading corporates and are connected directly to the relevant contacts and key decision makers. There is no being redirected or lost between hierarchies and failed leads. STARTUP AUTOBAHN is the interface that enables young companies to collaborate with the key industry players with the aim of bringing innovation to life.
We have moved beyond acceleration. STARTUP AUTOBAHN is all about evaluating and driving technology in a real-world environment. Together with our established partners, we have set a clear goal – developing successful production-ready implementations or long-term investments with startups.
With a strong and expansive network, we are a community of decision-makers, innovators, entrepreneurs, politicians, and investors from around the world. To add a level of exposure, project teams have the chance to showcase their work at one of Europe’s largest demo days: EXPO.
ClimaCell extends Porsche Roads app to include real-time air quality
Climacell offers a software solution that enables its customers to get the most accurate weather information, generate invaluable business insights and drive actions. In addition to traditional measurements of air pressure, precipitation and wind, the Boston- and Tel Aviv-based startup collects weather data from new sources of information, such as Wi-Fi signals, connected cars or smartphones. Porsche and Climacell are working on a POC on the prediction of the weather conditions that the cars will not only be able to determine what the weather is like, but also how it will be behind the next bend and advises drivers to adjust their driving style and vehicle set-up.
Mercedes-Benz and Nexmachina accelerate digital transformation in the shopfloor via IoT
In Vitoria, Spain, the facility management of Mercedes-Benz España, S.A.U. worked together with the startup Nexmachina on a joint project on digital transformation. Nexmachina is a pure IoT startup, specializing in wireless technologies. Their focus lies on LORA WAN (Long Range Wide Area Network), designed to transmit small messages from machines, objects or processes in use. In their joint pilot project at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vitoria, they focused on the smart monitoring of hundreds of fluid meters scattered throughout the two assembly plants. With this project, they wanted to prove that IoT technology and LORA WAN in particular, provide an efficient and economical solution to digitize fluid meters and other assets in the plants.
The Bulgarian startup develops tailor-made, truly sustainable products, achieving this by combining eco-design, cutting edge technologies, and rapidly renewable resources. In a pilot project, Mercedes-Benz Group Research and Biomyc are working together to develop a custom mutilation cover from sustainable materials to be used in assembly. The concept is MoSchu 03 – a mutilation cover that can service not one, but six cars, made out of a 3D printable, industrially compostable, plant-based plastic with recycled content (more info).
Plants instead of plastic. This is the formula that makes Natural Fiber Welding’s product so special. It is a leather substitute based on vegetables that is 100 per cent recyclable — without compromising on quality and appearance. On Expo Day 7 Natural Fiber Welding, in cooperation with the Indian automotive supplier Motherson, presented a pilot project together with Porsche: a trim for a Taycan door — with a vegan leather substitute.
Opus 12 offers a hardware solution that enables its customers to recycle carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals, materials and fuels. They achieve this by using electricity and novel catalysts to turn CO2 and water into valuable chemical products. In partnership with Daimler, Opus 12 made the first car part from carbon dioxide. They took CO2, converted into the feedstocks for poly carbonate and produced with Daimlers existing supply chain a part that would be compatible with the Mercedes A-Class.
Circulor offers a software solution that enables its customers to track raw materials through supply chains to demonstrate responsible sourcing and sustainability. Mercedes-Benz Procurement is already involved in a pilot project with Circulor, to create transparency about CO2 emissions in the cobalt supply chain. The startup uses blockchain technology to track the emission of gases harmful to the climate and the proportion of secondary material along the complex supply chains of battery cell manufacturers.
Ottopia Technologies develops and provides a platform that enables remote humans to guide vehicles in a way that is safe, reliable, scalable, and cyber-secure. Ottopia's technology can be applied in a wide range of use-cases, to remotely control vehicles and machines in shipping ports, airports, factories, and more. It improves services like remote valet parking, driverless end-of-line logistics, and driverless taxis. Ottopia and T-Systems showed a first product demonstration at EXPO Day, remotely driving a car in Tel Aviv all the way from Stuttgart.
STARTUP AUTOBAHN runs two programs per year, concluding with an EXPO. The program is stage agnostic and designed to support startups by connecting them to the right business units of the corporate partners, in order to lay a groundwork for a successful cooperation such as a pilot project, implementation, or investment.
We are always on the search for startups working on the future of mobility, production, enterprise, and beyond. The most interesting and relevant of the bunch will be invited to tech-themed 1:1 meetings, our so-called “Deep Dives” hosted by our corporate partners. Based on these meetings, our partners will consider voting startups into the next program.
Once a startup is voted into the program, they will work on joint projects, proofs of concepts and prototypes with the partner. During this phase, the STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play team is there to guide and support both sides throughout the process.
Twice a year, at the peak of each program, is our EXPO. This invite-only event brings together our community, showcasing the work of the business units of our partners together with the startups. It has grown into a highly acclaimed event with a stacked program of speakers, experts, and the teams behind the technologies – creating a stage for industry-players, companies, startups and VCs to come together and celebrate the work of open innovation.
After the completion of the program, decisions are made as to where things will go next. This may include the extent to which the pilot project can be transferred into a series application at the partner company.
Are you a startup working on hard- or soft- ware solutions for mobility, production, or enterprise? Interested in getting a chance to implement your products and work with one of our industry-leading partners?
Apply NowWe – Daimler, Plug and Play, the University of Stuttgart and ARENA2036 as founding partners believe in a culture of open doors, disruptive thinking and the open exchange of ideas, technologies and contacts to get startups moving faster.
More about usSTARTUP AUTOBAHN is made up of 30 leading partners across industries. Interested in joining our growing community? Click on the link below!
Become a partner
As a founding partner of the innovation platform STARTUP AUTOBAHN, we want to mediate between startups and large corporations bringing together specific tech know-how with comprehensive automotive competence.
We are convinced that we will benefit from the open innovation approach. Therefore, we are constantly looking for innovative startups to combine the best of both worlds to shape the future of mobility and production.
Plug and Play is the ultimate innovation platform, bringing together the best startups, investors, and the world’s largest corporations. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an inhouse VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. To give startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond, we are now active in 28 locations globally, including U.S., China, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Singapore, Indonesia, and Mexico.
One of Plug and Play’s most successful projects is STARTUP AUTOBAHN: An innovation platform for global startups that brings Silicon Valley tech expertise to the birthplace of automotive. We accelerate software and hardware startups – from early stage to growth stage – which develop innovative solutions in the fields of Future Mobility and Smart Production.
ARENA2036 is one of the founding partners of STARTUP AUTOBAHN. The research campus is a platform where science and industry meet in order to cooperatively work on the “flexible production for the next generation of automobiles”. Within such a creative and synergistic environment, the startups of STARTUP AUTOBAHN receive coworking space as well as state of the art hardware to implement their ideas. This setup grants many possibilities for startups to exchange with the ARENA2036 partners, to employ their know-how as well as to profit from their experience. Now the first five programs are concluded successfully. The results of the preceding startups have shown how well the concept of STARTUP AUTOBAHN works and how important an extensive network is for their establishment. With the Program 5 startups we intensify the network between ARENA2036 partners and startups even more closely. Thus we are excited about the results achieved in a very short time.
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The University of Stuttgart inspires its students in the field of science by means of research-led teaching and learning. However, great importance is also placed on the ability of the university’s graduates to make a creative contribution to scientific, business and social innovations once they leave the university. The University of Stuttgart believes that STARTUP AUTOBAHN plays an important role in this process, as it brings the spirit of entrepreneurship to campus. The goal of the University of Stuttgart for Program 6 is to inspire more of its students to join the events organized by STARTUP AUTOBAHN, thus empowering them to become a part of Stuttgart’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. Research, innovation and entrepreneurship have found an ideal home at the ARENA2036 research facility on campus at the University of Stuttgart.
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Industries are becoming digital ecosystems making it more important than ever to work in partnership networks. Partnership networks also play a vital role in DXC’s effort of supporting customers in their digital transformation, generating new engaging customer experiences, developing differentiating business models and helping to automate and optimize corporate processes in administration, in production, and along the supply chain. Speed and efficiency are two core drivers for success. Working with a range of innovative partners from large corporations to high potential startups, allows us to deliver first proof of concepts up to fully scalable solutions faster and at lower cost – providing the customer a proven solution that can be adapted along changing needs. We see STARTUP AUTOBAHN is a great way to meet these startups and jointly work on new business models and innovative ideas for our customers. With our global reach and our long experience delivering scalable technology solutions to solve our customer’s problems we can help startups to bring their business to new markets.
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Accelerators are playing an increasing role for companies like ZF to enter into dynamic and innovative startup communities worldwide. Early evidence and examples with Acerta and others demonstrate the significant potential of Plug and Play and STARTUP AUTOBAHN that we can improve outcomes quickly. For us quality matters – and we get that 100% with Plug and Play. Our experience is a process of intense, rapid, and immersive education between all parties aimed for acceleration.
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Digitization, electrification and connectivity are revolutionizing the automotive industry. Porsche sees this as an opportunity and wants to make the most of it. STARTUP AUTOBAHN gives the innovative culture at Porsche an extra boost. The top talent from the international startup scene gives external inspiration that accelerates the progress the sports car manufacturer is making. To make this happen, Porsche provides the startups with an environment in which they can reach their full potential and focus on their work. In Program 5, Porsche realized 12 pilot projects in various fields of expertise – from voice control to blockchain technology, to cybersecurity. In Program 6, Porsche will intensify and speed up its collaborations with the most innovative startups to shape the future of the sportscar.
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Webasto is a global innovative systems partner to almost all automobile manufacturers. Our product portfolio comprises a broad range of roof and heating systems as well as battery systems and charging solutions. We at Webasto are continuously searching for new and innovative ideas and regard STARTUP AUTOBAHN as a chance to get in contact with founders and entrepreneurs as well as corporate collaboration partners to bundle our competencies and jointly work on new solutions shaping the mobility of tomorrow. Being enthusiastic about new technologies and innovation to create highly efficient quality products, constantly searching for improvements of our internal processes and finding new ways of working and collaborating are essential parts of our corporate culture.
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In the Motherson Group and our operating divisions such as SMP, SMR, SMRC and SMIA, we always work to achieve the objective of being considered as a customer’s globally preferred solution provider. We supply to many industry segments and market sectors in the world of mobility and transportation including among others interior and exterior products and wiring systems. We maintain a close understanding of the industry trends and their relevance to our businesses and fully embrace the need to continuously provide added value through new innovations and technologies in all our products and processes. Motherson Innovations provides a coordinating role to seek and develop new opportunities that will help us continue to be a solution provider into the future and we believe that being part of STARTUP AUTOBAHN is a key component in our global activities to achieve this objective.
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AGC Automotive, part of the AGC Group, is a world leader in automotive glass
Using the world’s top-class techniques cultivated through a history of technological innovation extending over 100 years, AGC set mobility, electronics and life science as three strategic businesses
AGC Automotive Mobility pillar is especially focused on developing products and solutions of displays, antennas, and sensors as fields in which it can take advantage of AGC Group’s strengths.
With R&D bases in Japan, Europe, and North America, AGC Automotive is the perfect partner both locally and globally for customers’ development needs. We lead the market in the innovation of materials, processing, coatings, simulation, composites, and production technologies which are then deployed to our production bases and used by customers all around the world.
AGC solves everyday challenges with its world-leading, cutting-edge technologies
AGC has joined STARTUP AUTOBAHN’s program to seek new disruptive ideas with startups and other corporate members.
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Amber Enterprises is one of the leading solution providers for HVAC&R segment based out of India and one of the most backward integrated company supplying critical reliable components such as motors , controllers , and heat exchangers for HVAC segment.
Amber is a technology-driven and innovation-led company where it keeps on exploring new technologies and works very closely with wide variety of institutes to enable itself for new and advanced solutions to its customers.
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Bridgestone Mobility Solutions (BMS) is a business unit of Bridgestone EMIA supporting and accelerating the company’s digital transformation – from a tyre manufacturer to a global leader in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions. This business unit brings together innovative tyre technologies and solutions as well as data- driven fleet and mobility products and services, including Europe’s leading fleet management software Webfleet.
Bridgestone Mobility Solutions has the mission to move the world towards a sustainable future with data-driven mobility solutions. The Bridgestone E8 Commitment – a framework of eight values (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease and Empowerment) – guides strategic priorities, decision making, culture evolution and sustainability actions towards the achievement of this mission.
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Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, comprises five business segments – Components, Engine, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by our global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy, which is grounded in the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. The products range from advanced diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains and powertrain-related components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, valvetrain technologies, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, axles, drivelines, brakes, suspension systems, electric power generation systems, batteries, electrified power systems, hydrogen production technologies and fuel cell products. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 75,500 people committed to powering a more prosperous world through three global corporate responsibility priorities critical to healthy communities: education, environment and equality of opportunity. Cummins serves its customers online, through a network of company-owned and independent distributor locations, and through thousands of dealer locations worldwide and earned about $735 million on sales of $34.1 billion in 2023.
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With approximately 10,000 employees at 80 locations worldwide, the Eberspaecher Group is one of the automotive industry’s leading system developers and suppliers. The family business, headquartered in Esslingen am Neckar, stands for innovative solutions in exhaust technology, automotive electronics and thermal management for a broad range of vehicle types. Eberspaecher components and systems provide more comfort, greater safety and a cleaner environment on or off the road. In 2018, the Group generated revenue of around 4.6 billion euros.
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FORVIA, the world’s 7th largest automotive technology company, provides solutions for a safe, sustainable, advanced and customized mobility. Composed of 6 business groups with 24 product lines, FORVIA comprises the complementary technology and industrial strengths of Faurecia and HELLA. FORVIA is focused on becoming the preferred innovation and integration partner for OEMs worldwide.
We see a great benefit in the collaboration with the STARTUP AUTOBAHN platform & its unique corporate automotive ecosystem. With their support, we scout for deep tech solutions of disruptive startups on a global scale & initiate unique pilot projects that boost our innovation activities. Due to our numerous innovative tech areas and key position in the value chain as a Tier 1 supplier, we are a strong partner for tech companies across all maturity stages and for corporate co-innovation projects that lead to unique & implementable PoCs with the involved OEMs & startups.
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GF Casting Solutions is one of the leading solution providers of lightweight components in the mobility and energy industry.
As a future-oriented company, we act as a driving force for innovation in the global foundry industry and additive manufacturing world and want to take the lead in shaping the development of sustainable mobility.
GF Casting Solutions aims to further strengthen its role as innovation and quality leader for sustainable lightweight cast and additive manufacturing solutions. „Partnering with Startup Autobahn will inspire our way of thinking and sets valuable new impulses through collaborating with a very strong and innovative partner network. The collaboration with startups will enable us to develop proof of concepts for both, new product and process solutions, very quickly”, states Gabriel Selbach, Head of Innovation at GF Casting Solutions.
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Whether it’s a key or by touching a door handle – almost every car driver in the past 100 years got in contact with one of our products. Huf is the leading specialist for secure car access and authorization. 7,800 employees at 19 sites around the world passionately develop and produce locking systems, door handles, passive entry systems and digital key solutions for a unique car access and authorization experience.
Our considerable R+D invest and the high degree of registered patents are proof of our innovative power. We always pursue the goal of developing trend-setting products and bringing them into series production with our automotive customers around the globe. At STARTUP AUTOBAHN we are looking forward to find partners with the same passion, expertise and creativity to jointly bring future mobility solutions on the road – and beyond.
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Lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond – at Hyundai we strive to reinvent ourselves as a global mobility brand and life partner for our customers, that provides a new driving and mobility experience. Our vision for future mobility is ‘Freedom in Mobility’, ‘Clean Mobility’, and ‘Connected Mobility’. To shape our vision, we collaborate and partner with global promising startups and corporates, as well as excellent technical institutes. As a corporate partner at STARTUP AUTOBAHN, we are accelerating our open innovation activities to identify and successfully implement new technologies that bring Hyundai new business values for the future.
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For more than 100 years, Maxion has provided automotive wheels and structural components that keep our world in motion.
With our eyes on the long-term view, we challenge ourselves to think beyond the day-to-day and connect our current business with the future of mobility.
Joining STARTUP AUTOBAHN is one of many ways we connect Maxion’s work with the global innovation ecosystem. Through the partnership we will participate in new mobility platforms, leverage screening and scouting opportunities, and share insights and collaborate with other industry partners and startups on important industry challenges.
With our membership, Maxion becomes the first wheel supplier to join STARTUP AUTOBHAN’s community.
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) enables a smarter, safer and more sustainable world through innovation. As a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is pushing boundaries in the automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets.
Plug and Play will connect NXP with startups to address industry-wide challenges that require collaboration to find viable and long-lasting solutions. The program addresses the needs of NXP and comprises topics from the fields of the future of mobility, IoT, sustainability and beyond.
“One company can only do so much working in isolation,” said Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NXP Semiconductors. “There are enormous possibilities that are not yet fully exploited today. Joining STARTUP AUTOBAHN, powered by Plug and Play, NXP helps drive technologies of the future. By working collaboratively, we can expand our innovation horizon to create a world that anticipates and automates. For startups, agility is key and bringing them to market faster to boost their solutions and innovative concepts.”
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Novelis Inc. is driven by its purpose to shape a sustainable world together.
As a global leader in innovative products and services and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum, we partner with customers in the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties industries to deliver solutions that maximize the benefits of lightweight aluminum throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America.
Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India.
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OPmobility (formerly Plastic Omnium) is a world leader in sustainable mobility and a technology partner to mobility players worldwide. Driven by innovation since its creation in 1946, the Group is today composed of five complementary business groups that enable it to offer its customers a wide range of solutions: intelligent exterior systems, complex modules, lighting systems, energy storage systems and battery and hydrogen electrification solutions. OPmobility also offers its customers an activity dedicated to the development of software, OPn’Soft. With economic revenue of 11.4 billion euros in 2023 and a global network of 152 plants and 40 R&D centers, OPmobility relies on its 40,300 employees to meet the challenges of sustainable mobility.
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SEKISUI S-LEC is part of the Japanese company SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD
and manufacturing PVB interlayer film for laminated glass.
More than 60 years of continues improvement for interlayer film technology has made us the leading brand in our business field.
With our group vision “Innovation for the Earth” for a realization of sustainable society,
we would like to create new value in existing businesses and change to new business styles for the future.
We believe that STARTUP AUTOBAHN can support us to enhance our activity
and looking forward for a partnership with start-ups and champions to create the next new frontier together.
We are 46,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies, devices, and solutions that start with our employees, with our 100,000 customers, and with our thousands of partners. Together, we design and build products, solutions and ecosystems that address the sustainability and resource management challenges our customers are facing, while helping them seize opportunities they are pursuing.
This is why we have 8,100 R&D employees, invest about 16% of our revenues in R&D every year, and engage in extensive collaboration with leading research labs and corporate partners throughout the world. Moreover, we are continuously investing in our footprint as an independent device manufacturer. Our 11 manufacturing sites master all aspects of the semiconductor supply chain and offer our customers the quality, flexibility, and supply security they need.
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As a leading global supplier to the automotive and industrial sectors, Schaeffler has been pioneering and driving forward groundbreaking developments in the fields of motion and mobility for over 70 years. With innovative technologies, products, and services for CO₂-efficient drives, electric mobility, Industry 4.0, digitalization, and renewable energies, the company is a reliable partner for making motion and mobility more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable. Thinking outside the box and strategic collaboration with startups are a core element of our innovation strategy. With STARTUP AUTOBAHN, we have found the perfect network for further developing our core business together with strong partners. The partnership is a key initiative of our Roadmap 2025. Together, we want to create the progress that moves the world.
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An intellectual property of Turkey, Togg is a globally competitive USE-CASE MOBILITY®️ brand. Togg was established on June 25, 2018 as a joint venture of Anadolu Grubu Holding A.Ş., BMC Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri A.Ş., Zorlu Holding A.Ş. and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).
Togg is set to start manufacturing in its Gemlik facility in 2022, part of its focus on developing next-gen smart and connected EVs and the surrounding mobility ecosystem, for which the company also develops novel technologies, services, customer experiences, and business models.
Togg aims to reach a production of 1 million by 2030 across five connected EV models, built over a common platform.
