Nearly 15% of our annual CO2 emissions come from the transport sector. With global temperatures on the rise, now seems like the right time to rethink some of the ways mobility businesses operate. With this in mind, Baloise is hosting its first online Mobility Accelerator for early-stage founders. The applications are open until the end of June.
Photo: Alice Repetti, Mobility Venture Developer at Baloise Group / Credits © Baloise
Known for its insurance products and financial services, Baloise is probably not the first company that comes to mind when people think of Mobility Accelerators. However, since 2017, Baloise has made massive efforts to increase its innovative capacities, especially in the Home and Mobility ecosystems.
As part of their Simply Safe strategic phase, Baloise has created a highly structured innovation process that provides routes to five possible cooperation models: incubation, acquisition, investment, cooperation and partnership.
With its 10-week Mobility Accelerator aims to promote and support early-stage mobility businesses which focus on road, rail or land movement. These can also include ideas which focus on the daily commute of people or are service oriented (e.g., platforms, market places or subscriptions). Last but not least, the businesses should include a sustainability angle which can either be direct or indirect.
Important to note for applicants, having experienced first traction in the market or validated their business model increases the chances of selection. Startups looking to apply will also benefit from complementing or enriching Baloise’s exisiting profile and operating (or looking to expand) within its core markets: Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany or Swizterland.
A rich programme
With over 150 years of experience, Baloise offers experience and expertise that is hard to come by. In joining the Mobility Accelerator, startups get access to one-on-one sessions with the mobility advisors, venture capital experts, innovation partners, and insurance professionals that are part of the Mobility Ecosystem of Baloise.
Its extensive Mobility Ecosystem is not only full of experts but also includes former founders who can share their hard-won wisdom and help businesses succeed.
Many startups have great ideas but struggle to find the right customers for them. As part of the Mobility Accelerator, startups can benefit from Baloise’s excellent customer base in its core markets. In doing so, businesses can test their prototypes, enhance their services and get a better understanding of their customers’ evolving needs.
At the end of the day, getting your startup off the ground will take more than just a good idea or the right customers. Getting people unfamiliar with your startup to buy into your idea requires legitimacy and a good record. By joining Baloise’s Mobility Aceelerator, your solution will benefit from Baloise’s stellar reputation as it will be shared on its extensive network where it will gain visibility from its 4 million customers.
Since this is Baloise’s first Mobility Accelerator, startups will benefit from a great flexibility and openness to feedback. Baloise is committed to making sure that founders’ voices are heard and that this programme benefits all its participants.
The initiative goes hand in hand with the launch of the information platform Baloise Mobility, which is designed to act as a new gateway to the Mobility@Baloise ecosystem for interested startups and young entrepreneurs.
If you are young mobility business who wants to get the chance to receive funding, learn about your pain-points and benefit from Baloise’s mixed Sparkacademy learning programme, you can apply here until the end of June.
