TechStar Mobility connected car startup winners move 2 Detroit office

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Techstars-Mobility-driven-by-DetroitTechstars Mobility, driven by Detroit, announced the ten companies it will fund and train. The program is backed by the Ford Motor Company. The startup companies offer new twists on mobility such as longer-lasting Kevlar Lithium ion batteries, brake lights that light when slowing and real-time routing for deliveries as well as other new ideas.

The companies will work in a 10,000-square-foot office at Ford Field through September when they present final proposals to investors and industry leaders on Demo Day, September 10th. The team is lead by managing director Ted Serbinski who left Silicon Valley to lead the entrepreneurial gold rush in Detroit and create a legacy.

The corporate partners are Ford Motor, Honda R&D Americas, McDonald’s, Verizon Telematics, Dana Holding, Magna International and Munich Reinsurance America Inc. The companies will provide marketing funding, mentoring and other resources.

Each winning startup company receives up to $120,000 in funding. The group includes graduates from Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other leading universities. The 2015 class for Techstars Mobility, driven by Detroit, are:

  • Ansik – an app to improve the process of automotive service – making it efficient and affordable for everyone.
  • CDL Warrior – a communication and productivity platform for the trucking industry that connects truck drivers to their supply chain partners and improves efficiency, visibility and compliance.
  • Classics & Exotics – brings the sharing economy into the car enthusiast’s garage, allowing classic and exotic car enthusiasts to offset their ownership costs by renting their cars to prescreened, highly qualified candidates.
  • Cosmos Browser – a mobile Web browser that delivers the Internet via SMS without requiring data or Wi-Fi
  • Elegus Technologies – uses a lithium-ion battery separator made from Kevlar that can enable longer-lasting batteries.
  • Gear Brake – a universal, easy-to-install brake light module that can detect when a vehicle is slowing and automatically illuminate the brake lights, reducing the risk of a rear-end collision.
  • Motoroso – combines content, community and commerce for automotive enthusiasts to help them discover, connect and buy everything that powers their lifestyle.
  • My Dealer Service – empowers automotive service departments with digital connectivity and workflow management – elevating efficiency and creating an unprecedented customer experience.
  • SPLT – a social ride-sharing app designed to connect people with similar routes, share the fare, save money, reduce traffic and emissions and change the way people meet and move in cities around the world.
  • WISE Systems – real-time routing and analytics software to help on-demand delivery companies


Next year and in 2017, two more classes of 10 startup companies will be selected to come to Detroit and develop additional solutions for future mobility challenges.