10 mobility startups get ready for big leagues at Detroit's Ford Field

DETROIT -- The mobility playbook that could help reshape the auto industry is being drawn up in the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

Ten startups with inventions ranging from a car-sharing platform for classic and exotic cars to logistics software for truckers have converged in Detroit for the summer as part of Techstars Mobility, Driven by Detroit.

Techstars Mobility, Driven by Detroit, a new business incubator that is bringing a Silicon Valley-like startup culture to the Motor City, kicked off this week in a 10,000-square-foot office at Ford Field.

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

Hundreds of companies from around the world applied for the program.

“The startups and our corporate partners are aware it is a big ecosystem. There are all kinds of other players. The startups can work with other companies; they’re not exclusive to these guys,” said Ted Serbinski, managing director of Techstars Mobility, Driven by Detroit, in an interview. “These corporate partners are exclusive sponsors to this program and get first look and access to the startups.”

The startups will get three months of training in areas such as business development, customer acquisition and executive recruitment. The initiative will span three years and help develop 30 startups.

Techstars announced in December that the companies will receive $120,000 apiece.

The program closes with a Demo Day at the Fillmore Detroit theater on Sept. 10.

Techstars is a startup accelerator that runs programs in cities around the world including London, Berlin, New York and Boston.

The Ford Field hub is decked out with a pingpong table with a Ford Edge crossover on display next to it.

While the program has drawn the interest of Ford and Honda, the presence of McDonald’s shows just how vast the mobility world is.

“McDonald’s is a mobility player that works across the whole ecosystem, and how does mobility apply to food consumption? It’s a very broad thesis outside of just automotive,” Serbinski said. “Our mobility thesis is any technology that addresses the movement of people, goods and services.”

The startups:

• Ansik: The company created an app that provides “mechanics and customers with advanced tools that helps them diagnose and troubleshoot cars on the fly.”
• CDL Warrior: Built an app for the trucking industry that connects truck drivers to their supply chain partners and improves efficiency, visibility and compliance.
• Classics & Exotics: A platform in which classic- and exotic-car enthusiasts can offset their car ownership costs by renting their cars to prescreened, highly qualified renters.
• Cosmos Browser: Internet via SMS (text messaging), no data or Wi-Fi required.
• Elegus Technologies: A spinout from the University of Michigan that is commercializing battery-separator technology that can enable safer, longer-lasting batteries.
• GearBrake: Creators of a brake-light module that can detect when a vehicle is slowing and automatically light the brake lights, reducing the risk of rear-end crashes by up to 90 percent.
• Motoroso: A Pinterest-style platform in which automotive enthusiasts and brands can share photos and video content.
• My Dealer Service: Company says its Web-based software application connects automotive service departments to their customers via text or email with real-time updates on the vehicle status throughout the repair process.
• Splitting Fares: The SPLT social ride-sharing app is designed to connect people with similar routes, share fare, save money, reduce traffic and emissions and change the way people meet and move in cities around the world.
• WISE Systems: Company provides real-time routing and analytics software to help on-demand delivery companies serve their customers more effectively. The company was founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students.