Ford Motor Company is funding a business accelerator program in southeast Michigan, called “Techstars Mobility, driven by Detroit.” The program, which will grant up to 12 promising young companies $120,000 in funding and three months of mentorship and training, is now accepting applications.
Ford’s Techstars Mobility program is seeking out the best mobility-focused startups. In 2015 – the first year for the program – ten startups completed the Techstars Mobility mentorship. Those ten companies have since gone on to raise an additional, combined $3 million; seven of them continue to have a significant presence around metro Detroit.
This year, Ford Motor Co. is encouraging startups interested in the Techstars Mobility program to concentrate on advancing four key areas in-line with the automaker’s own Smart Mobility goals. They are:
- The consumer experience
- Information technology and data analytics
- Multimodal trip integration
- Flexible ownership and user experience
Ford VP of Research and Advanced Engineering Ken Washington said in a statement: “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’re excited to bring this new thinking to Detroit and the auto industry.”
Interested startups have until March 22nd to apply. Head to: www.techstars.com/apply.
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