Iomob selected for the Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator, Powered by Techstars
Tags: Startup, Mobility, News, Amsterdam, Technology

Iomob is excited to announce that we’ve been selected for the Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator, powered by Techstars.

Hundreds of SmartCity technology startups applied, and 10 were chosen. Iomob is now on track to roll out pilots in at least three places in 2019 — Pittsburgh, Spain, and Amsterdam, with ongoing talks in Singapore and other locations. We feel honoured to have gained the support of one of the biggest most reputable startup accelerators in the world alongside Arcadis, the leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets.

That’s us. :D

“As our first program in Amsterdam, the Arcadis City of 2030 Accelerator, Powered by Techstars has selected ten companies pioneering technologies that will revolutionize how we live, work and travel in cities now and in the decades to come. Innovative solutions that will transform the natural and built environment and improve the quality of life,” stated Techstars managing director David Mendez.

Arcadis, Techstars’ corporate partner in the accelerator, launched the Digital Innovation Hub in central Amsterdam as part of its broader digital transformation program, with the accelerator as an initial anchor for the Hub.

Iomob will have team members resident in Amsterdam for three months from March to May, when it will conclude at Demo day on 28th of May.

Iomob will use this opportunity to develop our funding networks, connect with other startups who complement our platform, and assist the smaller teams.

The theme “City of 2030” relates to the strategic vision recently developed by Arcadis and is based on the fact that in the next decade the vast majority of people will live their lives in cities. According to Techstars, the smart city industry is ripe for disruption. McKinsey research projects the smart city industry to be a $400 billion market by the end of this decade with more than 600 cities worldwide. These connected cities are expected to generate 60 percent of the world’s GDP by 2025.

In the Accelerator, Arcadis aims to contribute extensive subject matter expertise through mentorship and the involvement of its broader ecosystem of clients and partners.

“Amid a growing global trend towards urbanization, cities are increasingly under pressure. Fewer resources, rising citizen expectations, and increased social, technological, and environmental stress are some of the challenges. Sustainable development and ensuring future resiliency will require innovation and leveraging technology to solve increasingly critical urban problems.” — Patrick van Hoof, the Global Digital Innovation Director at Arcardis.

In light of the huge potential this accelerator offers for Iomob, Boyd Cohen,Ph.D and CEO of Iomob was posed the following questions:

1. What are the implications of being part of this accelerator program? Not only when it comes to funding, but also the opportunities provided (e.g. access to resources, investors, etc…)

“ Techstars is arguably the most widely recognised and important technology accelerator network in the world. From the past alumni I have spoken with, I believe one of the biggest benefits to participating is actually the connections to the other startups in our cohort and to the vast and impressive global alumni network. Similarly, as you suggest, Techstars alumni have a tendency to do better than most startups when it comes to fundraising which is always important. Finally, access to targeted mentors will be very useful as well as working with some of the managers of the accelerator, such as managing director David Mendez.”

2. What role does Arcadis specifically play in this program? (Aside from the selection process)

“Arcadis’ role in the accelerator was honestly one of the main reasons we decided to apply and accept the invitation to join Techstars in Amsterdam. Arcadis is a very respected, global player in the smart cities and mobility arena with many relevant projects occurring around the world including a MaaS experiment in Amsterdam among others! They also produce an annual Sustainable Cities Mobility Index.”

Our new office view.

You don’t have to be a mobility specialist to know that the Dutch have unique relationships with sustainable transport. Amsterdam boasts an impressive 881,000 bicycles, with an astounding 2 million kilometres of cycling distance achieved each day by its residents! Naturally, we feel that Iomob’s protocol would be a good fit for the cycle-mad nation, which led to the question:

3. How do you feel about implementing a part of the Iomob protocol in Amsterdam?

“Amsterdam is a city recognised on the global stage for pioneering more sustainable forms of mobility and for having many more bikes than cars (actually they have more bikes than people too!). Years ago I met one of the founders of the world’s first (and failed) bike-sharing experiment in Amsterdam and then later they were the first to experiment with electric vehicle car sharing too. It is also a market experiencing fragmentation with the introduction of several new services so it is a great place for Iomob to experiment.”

Which was then followed by:

4. Given Amsterdam’s infrastructure and their outlook on emerging, innovative and new technologies, how successful do you see Iomob being?

“We are keen to identify opportunities for collaboration with the city government, the city’s vibrant sharing economy, the growing number of mobility players and also perhaps engage with the AMS Institute as well.”

We’re excited to be part of this program with the other innovative startups, and look forward to developing the opportunities and relationships it will create!

About us:

Iomob is working to decentralize and build the Internet of Mobility, by incentivizing and facilitating the use of alternative transport. By using the blockchain, iomob plans to minimize fees and allow mobility providers and end-users alike to connect on a peer-to-peer basis. In their own words: Iomob is “a system which produces a useful output at the lowest possible marginal cost.”

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