5 sustainable mobility startups that might just change the world

Michelin’s Movin’On Summit was held virtually last week, and five sustainable mobility companies won its Startup Challenge because they stood out as being able to move from “ambition to action.”

The Movin’On Summit was originally meant to be held at McGill University in Montreal in June, with former US Secretary of State John Kerry as its keynote speaker.

Movin’On, which was founded by Michelin in 2017, brings together corporations, startups, government bodies, academia, NGOs, and international organizations. Its mission is “sustainable mobility as a driving force for human evolution.”

Then of course the pandemic happened, so the summit was held virtually, on YouTube. More than 3,500 delegates attended remotely.

Movin’On pressed forward with its Startup Challenge, which is part of the Summit that supports sustainable mobility startups that contribute to the emergence of concrete solutions. 326 startups from 61 countries took part in the Challenge.

A jury of 22 experts and the public chose five winners. They were:

Tackling climate change and air pollution: GBatteries | Advanced Charging based in Ottawa, Canada, which is developing a technology that focuses on ultra-fast recharging of lithium-ion batteries.

Improving multimodal mobility: ONO, a Berlin-based startup offering clean and sustainable transport solutions for urban areas.

Promoting safe and accessible mobility: N-Vibe, a French startup that has devised vibrating GPS bracelets for people who are blind or have a visual impairment.

Designing more efficient global transport: Everty, based in Sydney, which has developed innovative recharging software for electric vehicles.

Conserving resources: Addionics, a UK- and Israel-based startup that provides rechargeable batteries that have redesigned architecture and a new 3D metal fabrication method.

The winners will attend the 2021 Movin’On Summit in Montreal, and the 42 startups in total that were supposed to attend the 2020 Summit will benefit from coaching and support through sponsorship, incubation programs, and mentoring.

Karima Delli, member of European Parliament and president of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, said:

I am convinced that sustainable mobility is key to a better future and that startups can be the source of new and really concrete solutions. We must bring together all actors in the mobility sector to find collective solutions that will make mobility greener, more inclusive, and safer. Which is why initiatives such as the Movin’On Startup Challenge are essential.

I was honored to be co-chair of the jury, alongside Bertrand Piccard, president of the Solar Impulse Foundation, for this edition of the Movin’On Startup Challenge 2020.