Five startups that can change the way we drive

MobilityXlab, the leading mobility collaboration platform, has selected five startups to join the program and co-develop solutions with its partners Magna, Polestar, Volvo Group, Zeekr Technology Europe and Zenseact. In this fourteenth batch, the technologies that attracted the most interest relate to enhanced in-cabin experiences, including AI for location and navigation services, smart EV charging, voice agents for drivers, behavior monitoring and radar technology for autonomous driving.  

The selected startups are Radar Reticence (Sweden), Bareways (Germany),  AffinityEV (Ireland), Kilowatts (United States) and TAWNY (Germany). During six to twelve months, they will undergo a structured collaboration process with leaders in the mobility industry. While the goal is to reach an acceleration, for example, through a commercial contract, joining MobilityXlab also offers the opportunity for emerging companies to validate their technology in close contact with the market needs. 

Frida Wygler, CEO at Radar Reticence, a Swedish startup in the field of advanced signal processing for radar technology, says: “At MobilityXlab, the close relationship with industry leaders supports our innovation process and provides invaluable insights and feedback. For startups, it is important to have the opportunity to test and validate solutions in real-world scenarios to refine the technology and scale effectively." 

The addition of the five new startups expands MobilityXlab’s portfolio to 107 companies. Since the program, hosted by Lindholmen Science Park, started in 2017, 120 validation projects and 24 accelerations have been registered. This showcases the potential of merging established industry knowledge with the agility and innovation of startups. 

In-cabin experiences and Software Defined Vehicle interesting trends 

Katarina Brud, director at MobilityXlab, highlights the role of the program for the partners to discover new technologies and test new ideas quickly. She says: “Companies realized that they can no longer develop everything internally. Creating processes and a space to collaborate and absorb innovation from the outside makes a huge difference. With over 100 validation projects, we have seen firsthand the endless possibilities that these collaborations bring to the automotive industry. We are beyond excited to welcome Radar Reticence, Bareways, AffinityEV, Kilowatts, and TAWNY to MobilityXlab.” 

As vehicle ownership trends and consumer behavior changes, Katarina points out that there are currently several strong trends in mobility innovation: “With this new startup batch we see that in-cabin experiences, which include AI for personalized and safer journeys are a hot area. That aligns with the industry shifting towards the Software Defined Vehicle to transform the driving experience, while electromobility and enablers to autonomous driving also remain strong. In sustainability, the interest in new materials and circular processes is also growing.” 

About the startups 

Radar Reticence
Radar Reticence develops advanced signal processing solutions for radar technology, enabling reliable and interference-free radar sensors for the automotive industry. Our mission is to drive the development of autonomous and safe systems, where dependable sensor performance is essential for ADAS. 

Bareways
Bareways develops AI location services. The first product was a full navigation stack, esp. scenic routing, which OEM customers have launched globally. The next product generation will add the capabilities of Generative AI to - even more - focus on the end-user's interests. 

AffinityEV
AffinityEV drives innovation by connecting auto brands, energy and charging partners in a fully integrated ecosystem. We simplify EV ownership with managed energy and charger solutions, rapid deployment & tailored commercial models, advancing the customer journey and unlocking new revenue streams 

Kilowatts
Purpose-built Voice Agent for drivers that can execute actions through a natural voice conversation - so drivers can focus on safe driving. It can build custom EV routes, order coffee in advance at the next charging stop, purchase parking, or entertain the family with location-specific trivia. 

TAWNY
TAWNY combines people's flow, emotion, and attention data to analyze human behavior in groups and on the individual level. Our technology allows you to decode complex human affective states and behavior in real-time using simple camera hardware.