Toyota Motor Europe (TME) teamed up with ISDI Accelerator to organise the Toyota Startup Awards designed to find innovative solutions from startups who excel in the field of inclusive mobility. This 10-month journey saw the five winning companies thrive during the Toyota Accelerator program led by ISDI Accelerator, which has now been drawn to a close with the online Demo Day.
Special Guest, Sir Philip Craven
Before the pitch by the startup companies, the more than 90 guests, including TME key executives, private investors and ISDI representatives had the honour to listen to some inspirational words by Sir Philip Craven, former President of the International Paralympic Committee and Member of the Board of Directors, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Applauding the dedicated and strong-willed startup companies, he said: “Mobility for All means ‘for everybody’, without marginalising a single person. Toyota wants to provide inclusive mobility solutions for every member of our society. We, humans, are sociable – we want to go out. I personally empathise with these startups that are fighting every day to make this happen, whilst sticking to their principles and with a desire to improve people’s lives. At Toyota, we can learn so much from them if we want to give all people the freedom of movement. I want to encourage these startups to never give up, keep firing and go out to change the world.”
Accelerator program – boosting the business
At the Demo Day, Prosfit (Bulgaria), Seamless Vision (Israel), SociAbility (UK), Wheeliz (France) and ABLE Human Motion (Barcelona) showcased how their business models have evolved over the past months, by giving evidence of how the Accelerator program has been beneficial to their companies.
Only the beginning
Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. Whilst the Toyota Startup Awards may have come to an end with the Demo Day, Toyota’s journey doesn’t stop here. As Toyota is transforming from an automotive to a mobility company, Toyota’s mission is to ‘produce happiness for all’ through its commitment to sustainability that has always been at the very heart of everything it does.
The sustainability strategy builds on the promotion of diversity and inclusion and the desire to nurture sustainable innovation, whilst putting people first. Toyota believes that business and sustainability are mutually compatible goals. Initiatives such as the Toyota Startup Awards are testimony to Toyota’s sustainability strategy that draws inspiration from and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals.
