EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support to Startups Open Call

Objectif

This call is designed to strengthen Europe’s capacity to innovate and tackle pressing urban mobility challenges. By funding early-stage ventures, we aim to stimulate the growth of pre-seed, seed, and Series A companies, amplify the impact of EIT-funded research and innovation activities, and foster collaboration across industry, academia, cities, and startups. The initiative supports the development of high-impact solutions that reduce congestion, lower carbon emissions, improve safety and security, and enhance accessibility, while ensuring de-risked, high-quality investment opportunities aligned with the EIT Urban Mobility Financial Support thesis.

Critères d'éligibilité

This Call for Proposals is open to all legal entities established in the Member States of the European Union, and/or in Third countries associated with Horizon Europe.

To be considered eligible for this Call, applicants must also meet all the following mandatory criteria. Applications that do not fulfil these criteria will not be considered eligible.
- You are a startup currently engaged in an active fundraising round (pre-seed/seed or series A round).
- Your proposed innovations target the Urban Mobility market.
- You may not apply to three consecutive cut-offs. After submitting an application to two consecutive cut-offs, you must skip at least the following cut-off before applying again.
- You are not currently part of EIT Urban Mobility equity portfolio.
- Your company pre-money valuation does not exceed €50,000,000.
- Your startup has individual founders or executive team members who jointly hold more than 40% share of the company’s equity before the current fund raising.
- You have a prototype, pilot, or Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

Technologies clés

Urban logistics:
• Solutions such as fleet management SaaS, MaaS integration tools, and coordination systems that support mode shift, improve urban efficiency, and are scalable across dense urban environments.
• Innovations that decarbonize and streamline last-mile mobility for both goods and people in cities. This includes AI-enabled logistics platforms, delivery infrastructure, and shared micromobility systems that reduce congestion and emissions. It also covers AI-driven threat detection and localised energy-backup systems for delivery fleets, ensuring secure data flows and resilient continuity across urban logistics networks.

Shared mobility and public transport:
• Solutions that enhance shared and on-demand mobility as a core element of an integrated, efficient, and sustainable urban public transportation ecosystem, improving digital connectivity, data interoperability, and overall system performance to complement public transit and reduce private car dependency.
• New digital tools, SaaS platforms, and fleet management systems that optimise shared transport operations and integrate micromobility services to improve first-and last-mile connectivity, inclusivity, and multimodal travel efficiency are encouraged.

Mobility data management:
• Solutions that apply data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the performance, cost efficiency, safety, and integration of mobility systems, including mobility data platforms, traffic and fleet optimisation tools, intelligent transport systems, and multimodal integration software.
• AI-powered innovations such as autonomous driving enablers, urban digital twins, and predictive mobility infrastructure, that reduce congestion, enable smarter operations, and are scalable for high-impact deployment across urban environments

Electrification of transport and alternative fuels:
• Solutions that accelerate the transition to zero-emission urban mobility through innovation across the electrification value chain, including battery technologies, energy storage, smart charging infrastructure, EV components and software, and vehicle-grid integration.
• Clean and alternative energy innovations such as modular refuelling systems, energy orchestration tools, and e-fuel infrastructure, that reduce emissions, improve system efficiency, and are scalable in high-impact urban use cases

Health and mobility:
• Solutions that promote healthier urban lifestyles through active and inclusive mobility, improving safety, accessibility, and wellbeing while encouraging walking, cycling, and cleaner transport options.
• Innovations that monitor and mitigate the health impacts of mobility systems, such as air and noise pollution or inactivity, using data analytics, sensors, and health-informed urban planning.

Typologie de consortium

This Call for Applications is open to startups that are already engaged in an ongoing funding round. EIT Urban Mobility aims to participate in such rounds alongside venture capital or other private investors, fostering co-investment opportunities that strengthen the ventures’ financial position and growth trajectory. EIT Urban Mobility will not lead a funding round and, consequently, will not assume the role of lead investor, unless exceptional circumstances occur.

Project duration can be from a minimum of 2 months to a maximum of 36 months and must be clearly justified based on the scope, complexity, and planned activities. Proposals should not default to the maximum length.

EIT Urban Mobility offers a financial support instrument for startups, which are entitled to receive up to 2.5 million Euro of financial support (also known as “sub-grant”) per company to pursue activities which are in line with the overall EIT Urban Mobility objectives.