Iberdrola’s global start-up programme unveils new micromobility challenge
To accelerate its commitment to decarbonise the transport sector, Spanish utility Iberdrola has, through its International Start-up Programme, unveiled a new challenge for companies within the micromobility industry.
Through the startup programme, PERSEO, Iberdrola is seeking new micromobility solutions for parking, storage and recharging of bicycles and scooters. The aim is to further electrify the urban environment and transport systems to reduce carbon emissions and congestion.
The energy company is looking for innovative solutions to ensure secure parking against theft and vandalism, to provide charging points for private users and fleets and to offer digital solutions for its management.
Start-ups to be shortlisted will be reviewed using criteria including their solutions’ cybersecurity frameworks, data protection, remote monitoring and land use optimisation, project costs, maturity and suitability, simplicity and scalability, and degree of digitalisation.
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Through the €110 million ($130 million) start-up initiative, Iberdrola will provide technical and financial support to the winning project. The winner will leverage Iberdrola’s equipment, materials, infrastructure, sites and working areas to test their solution. Depending on the results of the pilot, the utility will offer the startup an opportunity to scale-up their solution or even invest in the company.
The launch of the challenge falls under efforts by Iberdrola to use smart mobility to decarbonise areas of its service, create new revenue streams and employment. The energy provider plans to install 150,000 charging points for electric vehicles over the next few years, which will include ultra-fast (350KW), super-fast (150KW) and fast chargers (50KW) systems.
In the electric motorbikes sector, the utility has recently partnered with Cooltra, Inetum and BeePlanet to install smart charging banks in cities, each capable of housing 20 chargers and multi-brand motorbike batteries. In Spain alone, the utility has signed more than 50 infrastructure deployment agreements with administrations, institutions, companies, service stations, dealers and electric vehicle manufacturers.
