Toyota Europe Announces First Six Start-Ups for Innovation Platform

Toyota announces the first six start-up companies to present their work at its European innovation platform Toyota Open Labs demonstration event in Paris next month.

The automaker says the companies, Andyamo, Okeenea, Genny Mobility, hlpy, Hive Power and Shippeo, will make their presentations at a Demo Day in the French capital on September 4 where they will showcase their innovations for advancing the future of energy, the circular economy, carbon neutrality, smart communities and mobility for all.

They will also discuss the progress they have made since joining the program, the challenges they have overcome and the future prospects for their industry.

Toyota Open Labs partners include Toyota Tsusho Europe, the trading and supply-chain arm of the Toyota group, Kinto Europe, the Toyota group’s mobility brand, Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth-stage venture fund, and the Toyota Mobility Foundation, a non-profit foundation by Toyota. The 2024 Toyota Open Labs start-ups were selected from hundreds of applicants that demonstrated unique approaches to core areas of mobility.

Andyamo is a pedestrian and multimodal trip planner that makes travel easier for people with reduced mobility, for example for the elderly, families with young children in pushchairs, disabled people. It achieves this by integrating information about accessible pavements, safe pedestrian crossings by mobility level and accessibility of public transport, such as trains, stops and tube station entrances.

Okeenea claims to provide better orientation and navigation for people with reduced mobility in complex locations in everyday life, using a mobility assistance application.

Genny mobility developed Genny Zero, a two-wheel personal transporter featuring self-balancing technology that helps make it easy for all users to drive. The vehicle’s technology continuously maps its position and terrain, sharing information about areas to navigate or avoid.

HivePower provides grid balancing using vehicle-to-grid technology and artificial intelligence algorithms that aids anything connected to the grid, from energy use to battery-electric vehicle charging, including integration with smart buildings and smart appliances.

hlpy boosts road-side assistance through integrated digital solutions that provide 24/7 self-service options, including on-the-spot repairs during a breakdown, emergency BEV charging and replacement cars, taxi booking, hotel reservations and access to service agents when drivers are unable to request assistance digitally.

Shippeo is a real-time multimodal transportation company that claims to empower major shippers and logistics providers with resilient, sustainable and customer-focused supply chains. Its automation and integrations offer instant access to shipment tracking across all modes, arrival time estimation accuracy, proactive issue anticipation, efficient exception management and precise CO2 and greenhouse gas emission measurement.

Monica Perez Lobo, Toyota Motor Europe vice-president corporate affairs and sustainability, says: “These innovations help solve societal challenges and move mobility forward in specific and tangible ways. The power of the Open Labs program is that it brings these start-ups together with business units across the Toyota ecosystem that can help scale the innovation and contribute to a sustainable future.”