Start-up & Entrepreneurship Award
Celebrating early-stage companies accelerating the future of mobility with disruptive ideas and real-world traction.
The Start-up & Entrepreneurship Award recognizes founders and teams delivering validated innovations—from software platforms and AI tools to components, charging solutions, and services with a clear path to scale.
Applicants should demonstrate market fit, pilot results, or revenue traction and a robust roadmap for compliance and growth.
Selection Criteria
- Originality: Differentiated value proposition and defensibility.
- Traction: Pilots, paid POCs, revenue, or active users with strong retention.
- Scalability: Clear go-to-market and unit economics that can scale across regions.
- Team Quality: Balanced skills, domain expertise, and execution track record.
- Compliance & Safety-readiness: Awareness of relevant standards and risk controls.
Examples of Eligible Start-ups
e-Mobility & Energy
Charging, energy management, battery analytics, or mobility-as-a-service platforms.
Software & Data
Telematics, cybersecurity tools, predictive maintenance, or digital twins for operations.
Evaluation & Documentation
- MVP & Roadmap: Product maturity, backlog, and release cadence.
- Evidence Pack: Pilot reports, case studies, customer letters, KPIs.
- Risk & Compliance: Data protection, safety considerations, and standard alignment path.
Eligibility
Open to early-stage and growth-stage companies (typically <10 years old) with demonstrable traction in mobility.
Timeline
- Nominations open: January
- Shortlist: April
- Ceremony: IAF World Automotive Awards – June
Jury & Process
Investors, product leaders, and technical experts. Weighted scoring across novelty, traction, and scale path.
Submit Your Nomination
Share your breakthrough and accelerate industry adoption.