On 4-5 June, the European Innovation Council hosted an EIC Multi-Corporate Day with STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play. This exclusive acceleration activity brought together 11 innovative EIC-backed companies from 7 countries with key decision-makers from major automotive and automation companies, including ZF, Eberspächer, DXC Technology, Motherson, OPmobility, SEAT, and Togg. The initiative, part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services, was designed to foster collaboration and stimulate potential partnerships, pilot programmes, co-development opportunities, and strategic investments.
This unique acceleration initiative took place during the STARTUP AUTOBAHN Expo Summit in Stuttgart, Germany. STARTUP AUTOBAHN, powered by Plug and Play, is an innovation platform specialising in connecting start-ups with leading corporations across mobility, production, sustainability, and beyond.
The recently published EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy places corporate–startup collaboration at the core of Europe’s innovation momentum. Initiatives like this Multi-Corporate Day, organised with Startup Autobahn and five leading corporations from the automotive industry, are a great example of this vision in action. The EIC Corporate Partnership Programme is paving the way by building a trusted group of corporate leaders within the EIC ecosystem, soon to be officially launched as the Trusted Corporate Network.
- Agnieszka Stasiakowska, Head of EIC Business Acceleration Services
"I am very glad that my team and I can be part of the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme of the European Innovation Council. We are constantly searching for new sources of start-ups and emerging technologies. Being part of this programme gives us access to pre-selected, high-quality, well-prepared startups, which significantly increases our efficiency in daily operations. We truly appreciate the opportunity to meet a curated group of startups in one-to-one meetings and to directly discuss our challenges and needs. We are hopeful that the first discussions held today will lead to continued engagement, and eventually to proof-of-concept collaborations, which is always our objective."
- Urszula Kosidlo, Head of Open Innovation at Motherson Innovation
Ahead of this activity, the selected EIC-backed start-ups enjoyed preparatory services including dedicated training, mentoring, and pitch dry runs provided by the EIC to maximise business development opportunities. On the day, the selected start-ups, chosen by the corporations and supported by the EIC to align with their innovation priorities, presented their solutions during an in-person pitching and matching session.
The selected start-ups showcased advanced solutions in areas such as automotive technology, AI-driven systems, sustainable materials, and next-generation mobility solutions:
- BLINKIN (Germany) - AI experience platform for multimodal applications across products and services.
- CIRCULARISE (Netherlands) - Blockchain-powered product traceability platform for supply chain transparency.
- EKKONO SOLUTIONS (Sweden) - Edge AI software ensuring optimal vehicle performance through on-device learning.
- GRAPHENEST (Portugal) - Scalable graphene production for lightweight, conductive materials in automotive applications.
- HARDT (Netherlands) - Hyperloop technology for high-speed, zero-emission transport systems.
- HYBRID LIDAR SYSTEMS (Germany) - Next-generation solid-state flash LiDAR with enhanced precision and cost efficiency.
- LIGHTNTEC (Germany) - Ultra-thin, AI-controlled LED walls for automotive and aviation applications.
- QUSIDE TECHNOLOGIES (Spain) - Quantum-powered randomness solutions for next-generation vehicle security.
- SCANTRUST (Netherlands) - Secure QR codes enabling real-time product tracking and anti-counterfeiting protection.
- TANGI0 (United Kingdom) - Conductive polymer surfaces for touch and pressure-sensitive automotive interfaces.
- TRANS2DCHEM (Czech Republic) - Nitrogen-doped graphene electrodes for next-generation supercapacitors in electric vehicles.
For the start-ups, this acceleration programme offered a valuable opportunity to engage directly with key decision-makers from some of the world's leading automotive and mobility companies:
"The Scantrust team is truly thrilled and very grateful to have been selected by the corporate partners of the European Innovation Council. It’s a fantastic opportunity to pitch in front of major companies from the automotive sector. This Corporate Day, organised by the EIC in collaboration with Startup Autobahn, has been a real door opener. I’ve already had several valuable meetings today, not just with one company, but with multiple potential partners. We see strong synergies emerging, with opportunities to engage both with new customers and with future collaborators. I would absolutely recommend other startups to participate in EIC corporate events."
- Helen Pfennig, Director of Sales EMEA at Scantrust.
"Having the opportunity to connect with multiple automotive companies in one setting was tremendously valuable. The EIC's preparation and support enabled us to present our solution in a manner that truly connected with potential partners."
- Joe Johnson, Head of Innovation Programs at TGO (Tangio).
Additional information
About the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme
The EIC Corporate Partnership Programme, an initiative of the EIC Business Acceleration Services, allows EIC-backed innovators to boost their network and do business with relevant decision-makers from the largest companies in Europe. Since 2017, the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme has organised 74 initiatives with +120 corporate partners including ABB, Airbus, BMW, CaixaBank, CommerzBank, Enel, Ferrovial, L'Oreal, Medtronic, Neste, Roche, Saint-Gobain, Shell, Siemens Energy, Solvay or Telefonica. Over 1200 EIC-funded start-ups and scaleups and +2500 corporate high-level representatives have been able to participate in these initiatives reporting a significant business impact, follow-ups, and business deals.
The EIC is looking for large corporations with an open innovation spirit, interested in integrating innovations coming from start-ups, scaleups and research projects directly into their business offering, procurement and R&D activities as well as investing in highly innovative/deep tech companies. Open application for corporations.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.