Automotive manufacturer Ford and accelerator operator Techstars launched an accelerator program yesterday that will invest $120,000 each in 12 mobility technology startups.
The initiative, dubbed Techstars Mobility, Driven by Detroit, will accept 12 startups for a three month program that will begin in mid-June 2016. Ford will also provide mentoring and training.
The scheme aims to discover startups that align with Ford’s Ford Smart Mobility plan, which is intended to beef up the corporate’s connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles and customer experience offerings.
Technologies and business models that will be prioritised are consumer experience, IT and data analytics, multimodal trip integration, and flexible ownership and user experience.
Ken Washington, Ford’s vice president of research and advanced engineering, said: “Working together, Techstars Mobility and Ford are supporting smart, ambitious inventors who are creating innovative solutions to change the way the world moves.
“Some of today’s most innovative thinking is coming from startups, and we are excited to bring this new thinking to Detroit and the auto industry.”