Semi-finalists for Sustainable Cities Challenge in Venice announced
126 innovator entries from around the world to create solutions for low- and zero-carbon transportation
Photo credit: Olivie Strauss
Detroit, Varanasi and Venice have been selected to host innovation challenges as part of the Toyota Mobility Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Challenge. The goal of the $9 million global initiative is to help cities accelerate toward sustainable mobility, fostering healthier and safer urban environments while enhancing people's ability to commute, work, study, and access services. The cities, located in the United States, India and Italy, were chosen from a shortlist of 10 cities announced in November 2023.
Over 150 cities from 46 countries entered the Challenge after the call to cities was first launched in June 2023 and over the last months, the list was narrowed to 10 and now 3 cities. The City Challenges will be launched for innovator entry over the next two months, inviting global innovators to access a share of $3 million in funding per city to demonstrate their solutions.
As part of the two-stage, three-year $9 million global Challenge, the Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge launched in June 2024, attracting 126 innovator entries from around the world to create solutions that will increase the use of low- and zero-carbon transportation, as reported by the World Resources Institute (WRI).
Now the semi-finalists of the innovation companies were selected to
- Betterpoints Ltd: BetterPoints is a behavior change technology company that encourages eco-friendly behavior while helping organizations achieve net-zero goals. Their solution will create an app, BetterPoints Italia, that rewards citizens with points (that can later be exchanged for vouchers) for switching from cars to more active and sustainable modes of travel.
- Bikeloop AS: Bikeloop is a cutting-edge green technology mobility company specializing in creating smart, secure and sustainable bicycle parking systems. Their solution will provide a comprehensive system for smart and secure bike parking integrated with value-added services, ensuring a safer and more convenient experience for cyclists in Venice.
- Factual Consulting SL: Factual is an innovation and strategy consulting firm committed to transforming mobility. They will use their platform, RIDEAL — a digital tool to manage multiple mobility incentive programs and mobility budgets — to encourage Venice to make more sustainable mobility choices.
- HCE S.R.L.: HCE is a web agency that has been designing and developing cutting-edge projects for international brands and agencies for more than 20 years. Their solution will foster behavioral change, especially in home-to-work commuting, by integrating two approaches: supporting and facilitating sustainable mobility promoters’ initiatives and raising awareness among citizens.
- Instant System SAS.: Instant System is a leading Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, empowering over 100 cities and regions worldwide. Their MaaS platform integrates an intermodal trip planner with journey recognition, covering public transport, biking and shared mobility. Their solution will provide Venice’s transport users with gamified mobility profiles, nudging behavior change by simplifying access to the city’s diverse mobility options.
- ioki GmbH: ioki, the leading European technology company for digital mobility, offers data-based transport planning and innovative platform solutions. In Venice, ioki will create detailed microscopic simulations of daily movements and transport modes to identify key trip destinations that will inform the design of their intermodal solution for the city.
- Kooling Technologies Ltd: Kooling is a London-based, deep technology company focusing on addressing urban mobility challenges. To understand and influence Venice’s mobility trends, their solution, Every Street, combines insights from sensing technology and big data on individual mobility choices.
- My House Geek Pty Ltd (Bike Party): Bike Party is a social media application that allows people to organize group bicycle rides and provides cities a means of receiving feedback and data on active transport infrastructure in their jurisdiction. The company’s solution brings the application to Venice.
- Nudgd: Nudgd is a Swedish startup dedicated to driving sustainable behavior change through innovative digital nudging solutions. Their solution, the Smart Nudges Platform, integrates behavioral science with digital tools to encourage sustainable mobility habits. Through personalized, timely nudges embedded in apps, websites and digital signage, it motivates individuals to choose low-carbon transport modes.
- UrbanTide: UrbanTide helps organizations unlock the value of their data to support scalable solutions for sustainable transport and behavior change. Their solution, uMove_Venice, integrates city infrastructure and mobility data with an in-depth understanding of residents' motivations and usage.
“With the selection of these 10 semi-finalists, it’s exciting to see how innovators from around the world will respond to the Challenge and develop solutions to make Venice a more sustainable city,” said Ben Welle, director of Integrated Transport and Innovation at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The resulting innovations will directly benefit the people of Venice, and we hope these solutions can be applied to other cities worldwide, improving urban mobility on a broader scale.”
For more information refer to Sustainable Cities Challenge.