New York. URBAN-X, the leading accelerator for
startups reimagining city life, founded by MINI and run in partnership
with Urban Us, presented the outcome of its fourth generation of
urbantech startup companies, Cohort 04. The startups are working on
solutions to some of the biggest problems cities face around the
world, such as optimizing building construction, making residential
real estate rentals more transparent, improving personal mobility and
road usage pricing and cutting energy waste in commercial office buildings.
“We’re thrilled to work with these innovative entrepreneurs who are
pushing the boundaries of what technology can do for our cities,” said
Head of MINI Brand Strategy and Business Innovation Esther Bahne. “The
MINI brand’s investment in URBAN-X provides a platform to collaborate
with some of the brightest minds and creative urban thinkers around
the world, who are helping to shape the future of our cities.”
The program helps young creative people successfully work on product,
customer and network development. Professional guidance is provided by
MINI designers and engineers among other experts from the urbantech
and venture capital sector. The aim is to prepare young startups and
their ideas effectively for the subsequent financing process.
“Cohort 04 is a group of incredibly creative, inventive and driven
entrepreneurs,” said URBAN-X Managing Director, Micah Kotch.
“Improving the way our cities work has always required new thinking,
and we’re excited about what comes next for these teams.”
The Demo Day event on September 27th in Brooklyn, New York, marked
the end of the 20-week program and kicked off a series of investor
meetings the startups will have with top venture capitalists in New
York, San Francisco and Palo Alto.
About URBAN-X.
URBAN-X is the leading accelerator for technology and design
startups reimagining city life. Founded by MINI, URBAN-X helps
early-stage companies from all over the world to address modern urban
challenges across sectors like transport, real estate, local
government, food, water, waste and utilities.
Twice a year, URBAN-X selects up to 10 startups for its competitive,
five-month program of product, business and network development. The
companies gain access to a network of over 2,000 partners around the
world, including entrepreneurs, investors and public-sector leaders.
During the year, URBAN-X leadership visits cities worldwide, in the
U.S., Europe, Asia and beyond, to meet entrepreneurs and individuals
shaping the future of urban life.
URBAN-X is based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn at A/D/O, a creative space
founded by MINI and dedicated to exploring the boundaries of design.
The full list of Cohort 04 companies include:
-
Avvir — Avvir automates
quality assurance for the construction industry, providing
real-time insights into the progress and potential defects on a project. -
Campsyte — Campsyte
enables citydwellers to easily find and book private outdoor event space. -
ClearRoad —
ClearRoad helps government agencies automate toll road pricing for
any section of road without the need for traditional proprietary
hardware infrastructure. -
Open Data
Nation — Open Data Nation analyzes billions of public
data records for cities and insurance carriers to predict and
proactively mitigate problems, such as car crashes as part of the
Vision Zero Initiative and prepare for the safe deployment of new
technologies such as autonomous vehicles. -
Park
Diamond — Park Diamond makes biking better by
reinventing the bike helmet, using next-generation materials to
build a safer, more portable helmet that can roll up into the
shape of a water bottle for easier carrying, while looking like a
regular hat, cap or beanie. -
Rentlogic —
Rentlogic is a data-driven, letter-grade rating system for
apartment buildings that aims to bring transparency and
standardization to the residential real estate market. -
Sapient
Industries — Sapient Industries has developed a smart
outlet that senses and learns human behavior patterns in order to
automate a building’s energy management.
Press and PR
Renate Heim, Spokesperson Business and Finance Communication
Telephone: +49-89-382-21615, Fax: +49-89-382-28567
E-mail: Renate.Heim@bmw.de
Andreas Lampka, Head of Communication MINI
Telephone: +49- 89-382-23662, Fax: +49 89-382-28567
E-mail: andreas.lampka@mini.com
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
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The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly
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In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and
more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the
financial year 2017 was € 10,655 billion on revenues amounting to €
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of 129,932 employees.
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