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
- SU-01 Problem relevance and value | 25%: A material mobility problem and a clear, differentiated value proposition.
- SU-02 Verified traction and customer value | 25%: Independently corroborated use, customer results, pilots or revenue.
- SU-03 Viable and disciplined growth | 20%: Credible economics, controls, roadmap and scaling assumptions.
- SU-04 Team and execution | 15%: Relevant capability, delivery record and governance for the venture stage.
- SU-05 Responsible venture and durable value | 15%: Safety, ethics, compliance, resilience and long-term value considered from the outset.
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 & Result Period
Eligible scope: Independent start-ups and disclosed spin-outs working across vehicles, energy, software, components, infrastructure and mobility services.
Admission requirement: The venture must be under 10 years old with a working MVP and independently corroborated traction. Spin-outs must disclose parent support and control.
Result period: Evidence covers inception to date, with particular emphasis on progress during the preceding 24 months.
Timeline
Opening, closing, evidence cutoff, review, appeal and announcement dates are stated only in the approved Season Notice.
Jury & Process
Three jurors complete preliminary scoring and five complete fresh final scoring. Category tie priorities are SU-02, then SU-05. No chair vote is used; an unresolved tie may result in no single winner.
Prepare a Complete Entry
Review the category pages and evidence requirements before a future season is authorised.