Urban Innovation Fund

Founded in 2019 as an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Urban Mobility is committed to accelerating the transition to sustainable mobility. We accelerate the sustainable transition by providing established businesses, startups, universities, research institutes and the public sector with access to markets, talent, funding and knowledge. We empower our partners to develop and deploy new solutions that address the mobility challenges European cities face. We work in partnership with over 250 organisations and collaborate with a wider network of more than 1,000 organisations across 35 countries. Our work supports our vision for sustainable and decarbonised urban mobility and more liveable urban spaces for all. Why we do it The world is in the midst of a climate emergency. Emissions need to be cut 55% by 2030, and net zero achieved by 2050 to meet the objectives of the European Green Deal. To make this happen we need to embrace a new paradigm that includes radically changing how we move and live in cities. Many innovative solutions to achieve sustainable urban mobility already exist, yet their widespread adoption is often slow. Our role as Europe’s leading network for transport innovation in cities is to catalyse uptake and accelerate this transition. We are committed to helping the EU accomplish its ambitious CO2 reduction goals. We align with EU priorities and contribute to key EU strategies and initiatives including the Green Deal, the Cities Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, Horizon Europe and the New European Bauhaus. We also collaborate with our partners on local projects and initiatives and establish strong relationships with regional and city governments. What we do & how we do it We enable our community to speed up the transition to a decarbonised urban transport system through activities in four focus areas: match and connect, talent to business, innovations to market, and startups to scale. Match and connect We match and connect key stakeholders – including public sector, students, research institutes, universities, large enterprises, SMEs, startups, and NGOs – to accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector across all our activities and geographies. Events such as Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress enable our partners to connect, share insights and learn about the latest trends. Through Horizon Lab we help partners access external funding and form consortia to bid on long-term, large-scale projects. Innovations to market We bring innovations to market by supporting partners to develop, deploy and commercialise mobility products and services. Our activities accelerate innovations’ time to market and further scale their impact in European cities. We facilitate connections between the public sector, research institutes, established companies, startups and SMEs to implement agile pilots in European cities where market-ready solutions are tested in real-life. These pilots have led to longer-term partnerships, growth for private sector partners, and viable solutions for cities. Talent to business We elevate talent to business by fostering entrepreneurship and upskilling practitioners for the urban mobility challenges of tomorrow. We offer several master’s programmes, a Doctoral Training Network, tailored courses for students and professionals, and numerous incubator programmes to nurture entrepreneurship. Additionally, we coordinate the EIT Campus, a one-stop shop for education resources produced by the EIT Community and supported by EIT and the European Commission. Startups to scale We grow startups to scale by providing access to funding, coaching, and concrete opportunities through our accelerator and scale-up programmes. We nurture entrepreneurs to create and scale new solutions by connecting them with a broader network of potential shareholders and customers. As an impact investor we support startups that show positive social and environmental impact, as well as strong financial return on investment. We provide startups with access to grants and equity investments, networking opportunities and training through partner-led programmes. Equity startups can also be matched with city members to facilitate partnerships, and priority is given to gender-balanced startups. In 2023, we were recognised as Europe’s most active investor in urban mobility startups.

Azcende is a venture capital and infrastructure advisory firm. Through the potential found within Critical Infrastructure and National Security, a vital foundation for the future of cities and the people within them, we help tech businesses become tomorrow’s most valued companies. Advancing humanity through the future of cities With two thirds of the world’s population destined to live in an urban environment, there are a growing number of challenges and opportunities facing cities and the people within them. National Security: Defence and industry as well as commerce that creates international attraction, via the use of emerging technology and economic growth. Critical Infrastructure: Infrastructure vital for society needs, and infrastructure to develop and extend economic advantage. We believe that emerging technology-centric business models forged in rugged and pragmatic operating conditions of Defence can more positively address social, environmental and the economic challenges of humanity. We support ambitious entrepreneurs to create shared value for business and the communities in which they operate. We believe in shared value creation that connects and accelerates human progress.01 Emerging Technology Successful companies adapt to dynamic market pressures and leverage emerging technology to serve the current and future needs for the future of cities. Address the underlying cause, not symptoms: businesses that invest in technology that develops people and their capabilities, ultimately improving the quality of life to solve small and intractable world-wide issues. Shift perspectives from scarcity to abundance: Emerging technology orientated towards ‘the impossible’ activate latent potential and will expand how people benefit from their environment, positively and radically, to address social, environmental and governance needs. 02 Critical Infrastructure Critical infrastructure should unlock human potential throughout all key stages of its lifecycle – from conceptualisation through to operation. Emerging technology can turn this obligation to solve fundamental human needs. 03 Defence and Industry Technology from Defence and industry has been responsible for significantly improving the lives of all humankind.

Building a successful business is not only about the right team with the right idea at the right time. UrbanTech visionaries like you need to find partners, that enable you to be at the top of your game. That‘s why we at 2bX provide much more than venture capital – we help you 2b what you deserve 2b. 2b impactful We rethink the world. And start with the cities. Your vision of a better tomorrow is our drive. Let us be your partner in crime making cities a better place. VC feat. Network feat. Soulmates. We love business as unusual. `Cause standard doesn’t get us anywhere. Unique minds and views is the key. We are united by the desire to bring something new to the city. So stay unusual. To be X.

We shape tomorrow's infrastructure by co-creating digital solutions that improve social and environmental outcomes. Our investment philosophy We invest in founders and teams that are building digital solutions to tackle society's biggest challenges caused by the growth of urban areas, climate change, and environmental degradation.​ ​We build strong, strategic venture partnerships and co-creation opportunities with the teams that we invest in. Our support is tailored to the needs of the individual team to meet our common objectives. Our focus areasDigital transformation products Social and environmental technologies Smart infrastructure solutions Who we are Our team of tech-lovers from across the globe have come together with a passion for digital solutions and shaping the future of society and infrastructure. With resident experts and a global network, we’re here to supercharge our partners and clients.

Founded by Henry Kravis in 1996 and capitalized by New York’s leaders of business and finance, our mission is to mobilize our investors’ resources - their money, time and influence - to create jobs, spur new business creation and to expand opportunities for all of the city’s residents and neighborhoods. The Partnership Fund for New York City is the $170 million investment arm of the Partnership for New York City, New York’s leading business organization. Our mission is to mobilize our investors’ resources - their money, time and influence - to create jobs, spur new business creation and to expand opportunities for all of the city’s residents and neighborhoods. We invest exclusively in New York City-based ventures - both for-profit and nonprofit - with an overall job creation priority. As an “evergreen” fund, realized gains are continuously reinvested. The city’s business leaders help us identify and support promising entrepreneurs, with hundreds of business leaders contributing annually on our sector advisory boards, investment evaluation teams and as judges and mentors in our programs.

Future Energy Ventures is a unique venture capital platform that brings together corporate partners and world-class start-ups to shape the future energy landscape. Future Energy Ventures is the venture capital investment and collaboration platform of E.ON, one of Europe’s largest operators of energy networks and energy-related infrastructure and a provider of innovative customer solutions for about 50 million customers. Our Vision We believe the future of energy will see multiple sectors converging to deliver decarbonized, digitalized and democratized access to energy. This needs us to all think differently; everything will be interconnected and play a role within a larger energy infrastructure. Electric cars are not just vehicles, they are also mobile batteries; buildings can also be energy generators; homes and businesses can be smart and connected, regulating the energy they use and when. Frontier technologies such as AI and blockchain have a role to play in connecting these producers and consumers of energy together. Creating this new energy future requires bold thinking and will see new players disrupt traditional energy supply chains. Future Energy Ventures exists to drive that transition by investing in the innovative companies that are creating the digital and digitally enabled technologies that have the potential to redefine the future energy landscape, helping these pioneers to build their business and make the connections to accelerate their growth. Future Energy Ventures is born from the energy industry, but it understands energy must converge with other sectors to create a sustainable and prosperous future. This is why we go beyond energy to invest in companies solving problems in cities or building frontier technology. The realization of our ambition relies on collaboration and partnerships; between people and companies from many different industries. Our focus Pioneering the transition to a new energy future built on digital technologies relies on expanding our scope to encompass a wider definition of the future of energy. Energy infrastructure will converge with other infrastructure. Buildings will have photovoltaic panels and turbines to generate energy and store it for times of peak use. Battery technology and other forms of energy storage will be integrated into homes, cities, vehicles and streets, allowing energy to be stored and drawn down from multiple points with the entire city acting as a smart grid and smart energy storage network. We will also see opportunities for existing infrastructure, petrol stations for example, to be reimagined and reused as energy generation, charging and storage hubs for fleets of smart electric vehicles, which in time will be autonomous and driverless. The future will also demand far more energy to power a connected world but that energy will be cheap and abundant as a result of localized, renewable energy production and microgeneration. It will also be smart and controllable, enabling consumers to regulate what they use and when and to sell excess energy back to the grid from the home, office and municipal generation facilities. We condense this extended network of the future of energy into three Focus Areas. Future Energy The energy system will shift to a decarbonized, decentralized and digitally-interconnected system. Digital technologies are the key enabler for this transition and are set to make energy systems around the world more connected, intelligent, efficient, reliable and sustainable. One aspect of this transformation that presents great potential is the ability to break down boundaries between energy and adjacent sectors, increasing flexibility and enabling integration across entire systems. As a result, we believe now is an unprecedented time for attractive investment opportunities, and a call for action for today’s energy industry. Future Cities While cities transform, various kinds of technologies have emerged as a means to improve the quality of life of their citizens. Rapid urbanization however has led mankind to face a number of challenges that must be overcome in mega urban areas. The consequences are far-ranging and incising: freshwater scarcity, mountains of refuse, permanent traffic gridlock and air pollution. How can municipalities master these challenges with their tight budgets? One key solution is smart cities. Smart cities are intelligent and connected cities, contributing to a better quality of life and reduced resource consumption. Future Technologies We believe that the future of cities and energy will be shaped by advances in technology. We will tap into the frontier and deep technologies that promise to shape the future of cities and energy in the years to come, including the fields of AI and Machine Learning, Blockchain and Cyber Security. Who we’re looking for? We focus on investing in start-ups that are transforming the energy ecosystem and pioneering the future of energy. Our sweet spot is digital, scalable and asset-light companies seeking Series A and beyond funding that have shown evidence of a product-market-fit.