URBAN-X by MINI and JVP Introduce Innovative Startups Tackling Real Estate Challenges

URBAN-X by MINI, in partnership with JVP, has announced the launch of its latest group of urban innovators focused on building critical climate technologies. The startups will offer solutions for problems related to real estate development, mobility, and energy management. These are:

1. Algoma: Collaborating with real estate developers to automate the delivery of zero-carbon buildings using AI.
2. HubOn: Offering affordable and eco-friendly transport for goods by partnering with retail shops as drop-off and pickup locations.
3. Blip Energy: Creating smart and affordable energy storage solutions to enhance energy equity and integrate millions of homes into the smart grid.
4. Upward: Collecting, storing, and analyzing building energy data to optimize operations and automate compliance.
5. Enspi: Transforming energy management with an efficient and sustainable proprietary platform that improves profitability.
6. Vy-Carb: Developing a fully-measured carbon management system to autonomously remove, store, and verify CO2 in water in real time.

These startups were carefully selected from over 160 applicants dedicated to creating more interconnected cities that enhance the quality of life for all.

This new cohort comes at a crucial time, as the recent record-breaking summer has highlighted the urgent need to reshape our climate trajectory in the face of extreme heat waves, wildfires, and floods. URBAN-X recognizes the significance of this challenge and remains committed to fostering sustainable, livable, and resilient cities by nurturing startups that offer impactful solutions.

Mike Peyton, President of MINI Business Innovations LLC and Vice President of MINI of the Americas, emphasized the importance of climate tech founders and startups in driving positive change in urban environments. 

"MINI is committed to driving positive change in urban environments, and we see no better way forward than through the work of the emerging startups URBAN-X is supporting," he said in a public statement. 

Including these six startups in the URBAN-X program brings the number of graduated companies to over 100. Furthermore, over 87% of startups raise their next round of funding during or shortly after the program. 

Throughout the four-month program, the startups will benefit from hands-on mentorship in various areas, such as customer engagement, product development, talent acquisition, and brand strategy. They will also gain access to URBAN-X's extensive network of world-class experts in design, engineering, and branding from MINI, as well as office space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Johan Schwind, Managing Director of URBAN-X, expressed enthusiasm for the companies comprising Cohort 13, noting that their innovative approaches build upon past work supported by URBAN-X. 

"These solutions will drive us towards a better, more resilient future, and we are dedicated to helping scale them just as climate innovations are needed most in cities in the U.S. and across the globe," he said.

To celebrate climate innovation, URBAN-X by MINI will be hosting a discussion on the future of mobility on September 18th as part of Climate Week NYC. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the event site.