Company Lab wants Sustainable Mobility Accelerator entrants to grow in TN

By Milt Capps
Published Saturday, September 21, 2024 9:55 am

CHATTANOOGA-based The Company Lab (CO.LAB) and accelerator gener8tor announced earlier this week that five startups originating outside Tennessee were inducted into their second Sustainable Mobility Accelerator (SMA) cohort.

The five startups, which are required to station team members in Chattanooga during the cohort, were selected from among 132 applicants originating in a total 19 nations.

The CO.LAB pitch to candidate firms is attractive, inviting founders to "Test and scale your [minimum viable product] through access to the world's only urban testbed for connected autonomous vehicles, and the opportunity to work with the world's first commercially available quantum network. Find product-market-fit with opportunities to work with industry-specific corporate partners."

Each of the five startups just inducted is to receive an initial $20K investment, and each will be considered for a further $100K in funding, plus potential access to local startup pilot programs.

Tasia Malakasis

In a Sept. 12 press release, CO.LAB CEO Tasia Malakasis said, "The opportunity to match the top mobility startups with Chattanooga's world-renowned resources is always incredibly exciting. Our goal is to not only help these founders gain unparalleled experiences in Chattanooga, but to fully integrate them as the next up-and-coming technology business in the Southeast."

Malakasis emphasizes that, as it partners with gener8tor in the accelerator, CO.LAB also prioritizes helping participating startups make evidence-based decisions that could lead to establishing longer-term presence in the Chattanooga area.

The latest 12-week SMA cohort includes:

  1. SensFlo (La Jolla, California) offers a software-as-a-service production optimization platform that is redefining efficiency in the metal and plastic manufacturing industries. LinkedIn.

  2. WEAV3D (Norcross, Georgia) is tackling global carbon emissions in the transportation and built environment with inexpensive, high-performance, lightweight materials. LinkedIn.

  3. RueData (Mexico City) is a software-as-a-service solution for transport fleet tire management. Clients like Cemes, Heineken, and JBS have seen up to 30% reduction in tire costs with RueData. LinkedIn.

  4. Moduly (Montreal) is reducing peak energy consumption and carbon emissions with a plug-and-play home battery storage solution. LinkedIn.

  5. Motoring Labs (Indianapolis) leverages advanced computer vision technology to extract actionable insights in real-time from commercial fleet and warehouse traffic for clients in the logistics sector. LinkedIn.

The five startups are expected to appear during a showcase event during CO.LAB's May 20-22 Sustainable Mobility Summit.

In the CO.LAB press release, David Wade, CEO of CO.LAB supporter EPB (Electric Power Board of Chattanooga), said, in part, "Each of these companies reflects strong positive potential for developing products and services that could support the growth of Chattanooga's existing industries."

This past spring, CO.LAB's Summit showcase featured five companies from the inaugural SMA program cycle: San Francisco-based Coulomb AI, Tampa-based FLUIX, Inc, Mountain View-based MarsCharge, UK-based Terminus Technologies, and Los Angeles-based Xtelligent.

Thus far, none of the 10 cohort companies listed above has declared permanent presence in Chattanooga.

Though some early-stage native-Tennessee entrepreneurs have applied for the accelerator, thus far none has been admitted.

CO.LAB's partner in the accelerator -- gener8tor -- says it will soon convene a Sustainability and Mobility accelerator in Appleton, Wisc., the home of accelerator sponsor U.S. Venture.

The USV accelerator application deadline is Jan. 25, 2025, and kickoff is set for April 7. VNC notes that on the gener8tor website, applicants for the U.S. Venture-backed program are encouraged to consider applying for multiple accelerators, when that makes sense for them.

Meanwhile, conferences with related content are popping-up globally. In the coming week, for example, Austin will host MOVE America 2024.

No worries: Malakasis has often made clear that, at least for now, Chattanooga realistically seeks to be a major hub for sustainable mobility -- and a potential ally of other entrants.

Among related events also booked in Chattanooga this year is FreightWaves' "Future of Freight Festival" (Nov. 19-21).

Previous VNC items on CO.LAB here. VNC

.last edited 1617 cdst 21 September 2024