Great news for IMPACT Accelerator as their IMPACT Connected Car open call closed with over 500 applications coming from 41 countries across the globe, with some coming from the FIWARE Community. Spain, Poland, Italy and France led the numbers of startups and SMEs applying to the first call.

IMPACT Connected Car, led by ISDI and project led by FundingBox, offers startups and SMEs a six-month acceleration program, and will distribute up to €2.1 million equity free. Selected applicants will enter a three-stage smartization program and will receive up to €60,000 per startup, equity free, in grants and up to €50,000 per startup equity free. In addition, winners will have access to experts in business, technology, corporations, and funding, as well as a fantastic community. 

The increased importance of new mobility solutions made the open call an attractive opportunity for many connected car companies, and it, in turn, also sparked the interest of the European Commission, who funded the program. IMPACT has stated that:

“IMPACT Connected Car supports, connects and funds companies with innovative projects in the fields of wireless chargers, cyber security measures against hackers, smart mobility and zero emission transportation. Not only are these developments important for the continued safety and welfare of citizens and infrastructure, but this market is expected to represent a €141 billion business opportunity by 2020.”

Header image by Photo by Alessio Lin on Unsplash