Introducing the Techstars Mobility Class of 2017

Today I'm excited to introduce the 11 companies that will be a part of the Techstars Mobility Accelerator Class of 2017. We’re also announcing a new partnership with Rocket Fiber to bring gigabit internet to our office and house for founders. In addition, we’re welcoming three new team members to support the 2017 class.

The Most International Mobility Class Yet

The incoming class of 11 startups are coming from around the world, including Dubai, Tel Aviv, Munich, Vancouver and across the United States. They are building technologies and innovative business models that impact how people and goods move across all modes of transportation.

On October 18th, we’ll be hosting our 3rd annual Demo Day at the Detroit Film Theatre inside the Detroit Institute of Arts. If you’d like to join (it’s free) add your name to the signup form here.

These 11 startups are joining a thriving startup ecosystem in Detroit. According to the new report by the Michigan Venture Capital Association, there has been a 50 percent increase in Detroit-based startups in the last three years. In the last year alone, $62M was raised by startups in Detroit, 28 percent of all statewide venture capital investment.

Expanded Corporate Sponsorship

New this year, we’ve added four new partners to our consortium: next47 (the independent investment arm of Siemens), Bosch, InMotion (powered by Jaguar Land Rover), and AAA. The four new partners join existing partners Ford, Verizon, Dana, Honda, Munich Re, and Michelin.

Together, these 10 corporate partners are helping mobility entrepreneurs from around the world succeed in building businesses transforming the future of transportation and mobility. You can read more about their involvement and others in our previous post about the rise of the Detroit mobility startup ecosystem.

In addition, we have partnered with Detroit-based gigabit internet service provider, Rocket Fiber to provide our startups with internet that is up to 1000x faster than standard cable companies. This partnership will provide internet not only at our Detroit-based office but also at the Techstars Mobility Foundry House where startups’ founders can live for free during the duration of our program.

New Team Members Relocating to Detroit

We’re also excited this year to welcome three new team members to support the 2017 class.

• Ian Sefferman Entrepreneur-in-Residence: Ian founded MobileDevHQ, a Techstars Seattle 2012 graduate. TUNE acquired his company in 2014, where he is currently SVP of Customer Experience. He recently relocated from Seattle to Detroit. In addition to his work with TUNE, Ian is involved with Techstars Seattle and Mobility as a mentor, applicant screener, investor, and alumni.
• Andrew Mager Developer-in-Residence: Mager relocated to Detroit from San Francisco with his wife and dog a few months ago. He’s been mentoring for Techstars since 2013 and has been part of various accelerators: Nike+, R/GA, Sprint, and Mobility. He’ll be working out of the office a few days a week acting as a technical mentor for the teams this summer.
• Jessica Krcmarik Designer in Residence: Jessica is an illustrator, designer, and Detroit resident. She was a Techstars Mobility Associate in 2015 and currently freelances for various startups & small publications. She will be assisting the teams with design and branding needs

The 2017 Class of Techstars Mobility

The 2017 class is our most diverse and international class yet, with companies coming from around the world including Dubai, Tel Aviv, Munich, Vancouver and across the United States.

These startups are building solutions in the autonomous, connected, electric and shared vehicle mobility spaces. They are using a variety of technologies including analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics and manufacturing.

• Busbot (New York City): Helps transportation companies optimize their supply decisions to better respond to consumer demand.
• Carma (Washington DC): Monthly car subscriptions. An affordable monthly fee to drive any of our cars with insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance included.
• cycuro (Tel Aviv, Israel): Protects mobility companies from cybersecurity threats to data, systems, and services.
• Damon X Labs (Vancouver, Canada): Proactive sensor-driven safety systems for motorcycles.
• Derq (Dubai, UAE): MIT spin-off with a mission to eliminate road accidents and save lives by using artificial intelligence and V2X communication technologies.
• EcoG (Munich, Germany): Customized EV fast charging experience through a PaaS for value added services & shared revenue streams.
• Fathom (Grand Rapids, MI): Future of underwater adventure through an affordable, easy to use, underwater drone.
• Gridwise (Pittsburgh, PA): Peer-to-peer platform for on-demand drivers that improves their performance and overall driving experience.
• SEEVA (Seattle, WA): Visibility for mobility. Our ecosystem of patented technologies cleans windshields, LED headlights, cameras and sensors fast - so drivers don’t have to scrape or wipe.
• Stealth Company (New York City): Moving people and things across the country.
• Vartega (Golden, CO): Creates low-cost recycled carbon fiber for vehicle lightweighting to enable mobility solutions such as battery technology, connectivity, and autonomy.