Infiniti Motor Company and Nest are looking for Smart Mobility startups to mentor.
The premium automotive brand of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, INFINITI Motor Company, has partnered with leading venture capital firm and innovation partner Nest to launch an ignition program in Singapore. The program has been designed to give founders the opportunity to achieve commercial validation for their businesses.
INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility is an eight-week program to train and mentor high-potential startups in mobility and connectivity so that they can pitch a viable business-case to INFINITI’s senior decision-makers and key innovation stakeholders from across the Renault-Nissan Alliance. It has been designed to help startups that have advanced from the ideation stage and are now ready to gain commercial validation with their product or service.
Applications for the program are open until February 12, 2017. Eight startups will be selected to participate in the ignition program that will run from May to June this year.
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INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility follows the success of two accelerator programs in Hong Kong where startups have been successfully mentored to prepare them for commercial integration. .
One such startup is the Hong Kong-based E-Cycle, who joined the accelerator programme in 2015. E-Cycle designs, manufactures, and distributes all-electric vehicles, specializing in compact smart bikes. The company received funding from the program for prototyping, and worked with INFINITI’s design team in Japan to further develop the product. The product is scheduled to go to market in 2017.
Another startup, Hapticus, is an alumni of the INIFINITI Accelerator 2.0. Hapticus is a Singapore-based mobility solutions technology company, whose flagship product is a virtual transportation hub for people with special needs. Their system, comprised of a set of mobile and web applications, matches adequate transportation options with the specific user’s mobility needs.
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These successes in Hong Kong prompted INFINITI to bring the program to Singapore, a strategic location with a commitment to building a fully smart and sustainably connected city. INFINITI LAB, Smart Mobility will link the selected startups to the Singapore innovation ecosystem for the duration of the program to help them benefit from the opportunities available through alignment with the government’s Smart Nation Initiative.
The eight startups, to be selected from local and international applications, will receive dedicated and tailored mentorship and guidance from industry experts at INFINITI and Nest to refine their business models and prepare them to pitch for a proof of concept project with INFINITI. The participants would also have the opportunity to pitch to investors and secure funding and new business opportunities in an investor Demo Day.
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“This program is a key part of INFINITI’s initiative to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the business community,” said Roland Krueger, President of INFINITI Motor Company.
Nest CEO Lawrence Morgan said, “Startups need the opportunity to test their products and theories and this program is highly focused on giving founders a clear path to POC so they can quickly gain traction and scale.”
The program accepts applications until February 12, 2017. Interested startups from around the world can apply now.
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Disclosure: This article was produced by the e27 content marketing team, sponsored by Nest.
Feature image credit: INFINITI-NEST
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