After launching an Open Call, nearly 200 applications from over 45 countries were duly screened and eight startups were selected to pitch at the Finals, held in Barcelona on 25 February. Over 3,000 people participated in the public voting, after which an expert jury composed of both Toyota executives and ISDI Accelerator took the final decision.

ProsFit – accessible, affordable and comfortable prosthetics

ProsFit (Bulgaria) has developed and commercialised a solution to provide accessible, affordable and comfortable prosthetics to millions of people who would otherwise find mobility extremely challenging. This enables the delivery of high-quality service provision and community-based rehabilitation in remote areas of low and middle-income countries.

Seamless Vision – urban autonomous navigation for the visually impaired

Seamless Vision (Israel) is building a robot helping the visually impaired navigate autonomously in urban areas. It guides users throughout the urban landscape, helps them to explore new places and always brings them back home safely. The technology combines multiple sensory systems with deep learning modules that constructs a human-like perception of its surroundings to enable a complete urban autonomous navigation.

SociAbility – providing reliable and accurate accessibility information

SociAbility (UK) empowers disabled people to explore their communities with confidence, ease and peace of mind by collecting and sharing detailed, reliable and accurate accessibility information for hospitality and retail venues.

Wheeliz – peer-to-peer wheelchair accessible vehicle rental

Wheeliz (France) is the first website dedicated to peer-to-peer wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) rental. Wheeliz enables wheelchair users to rent a car directly to any WAV owner.

Toyota – ISDI partnership

Toyota Accelerator program

Together, TME and ISDI Accelerator have developed the Toyota Accelerator program, which will offer training, mentoring, funding, as well as potential future collaboration with TME.

The program runs for 4 months and includes

· Assignment of business mentors for each startup to help grow their business

· Working with specialised mentors, successful entrepreneurs, experienced investors and C-Level executives from big corporations

· An immersive training bootcamp

· An initial investment of 25,000 euro in equity-free cash

· A demo day to pitch in front of top TME executives and private investors

· Potential collaboration with TME

Click on the following link on 25 February at 09:30 to view the livestream:

https://youtu.be/cP9lk3nfSjo

Full program

• 9:30 – 10:00 Start My Impossible story // Birgit Skarstein, 3x Paralympian, 4x World Rowing Champion, Nordic Skiing World Cup winner
• 10:00 – 12:30 Ultimate pitch competition // Order: 4Blind, ABLE Human Motion, Loro, MotorSkins, ProsFit, Seamless Vision, Sociability, Wheeliz

(12:30 – 14:00 Break)

• 14:00 – 14:30 Start My Impossible story // Ilaria Naef, WCMX (Wheelchair Motocross) athlete
• 14:30 – 15:00 Toyota Startup Accelerator launch // Agustín Martín (VP Connected Technologies, Toyota Motor Europe. CEO Toyota Connected Europe), Miguel Ángel Díez Ferreira (Director ISDI)
• 15:00 – 15:30 Winners announcement // Agustín Martín (VP Connected Technologies, Toyota Motor Europe. CEO Toyota Connected Europe), Luigi Luca' (Director Mobility & Connected Technologies, Toyota Motor Europe), Nacho de Pinedo (CEO & Co-Founder ISDI)

Program

The selected startups will have an opportunity to present their solutions in front of an audience of Toyota executives, investors and media. The winners from this pitch competition will take home a ticket to join the Toyota Accelerator Program powered by ISDI, which will offer training, mentoring, funding, as well as potential future collaboration with TME.

Besides the startup pitches, highlights of the program include

· Toyota Executive presentation on Toyota’s vision of future mobility

· “Start Your Impossible” stories by a wheelchair motocross athlete and a Paralympic Athlete

· Official launch of Toyota Startup Accelerator program

· Announcement of the winners, followed by a closing cocktail & networking opportunity

Venue & Timing

Aticco Tarradellas, Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas 123, Barcelona, Spain

25 February, from 9:00 to 17:00

Registration

Attendees are requested to register here (Limited capacity event).

High performance startups

Around 200 startups from over 45 countries entered the competition with a focus on ‘Mobility for All’. On top of the quantity, TME also notes the high quality of applicants. 52% of all the projects that applied can prove customer growth, 38% of them are generating revenues and 23.5% have each raised €1M or more in private funding already. Geographically, Spain and UK are the countries with the highest amount of applications, with 15% and 12% respectively. Disruptive Mobility (48%) is the vertical with the highest amount of applications, followed by Socially Inclusive Mobility (24%).

Overview eight selected startups

ISDI Press details

Alexandra Carrasco Szulc

Communications Manager - ISDI Accelerator

Tel: +34 690 695 963

E-mail: acarrasco@isdi.education

High performance startups

On top of the quantity, TME also notes the high quality of applicants. 52% of all the projects that applied can prove customer growth, 38% of them are generating revenues and 23.5% have each raised €1M or more in private funding already. Geographically, Spain and UK are the countries with the highest amount of applications, with 15% and 12% respectively. Disruptive Mobility (48%) is the vertical with the highest amount of applications, followed by Socially Inclusive Mobility (24%).

Overview eight selected startups

Toyota Stand (Hall 2 B100)

At Toyota’s stand, the selected startups will have an opportunity to present their solutions in front of an audience of event visitors, investors and Toyota executives. A maximum of three winners from this pitch competition will take home a ticket to join the Toyota Accelerator Program powered by ISDI, which will offer training, mentoring, funding, as well as potential future collaboration with TME.

The winners of the Toyota Startup Awards will be announced by TME on the Banco Sabadell stage (Hall 1) on Tuesday 25 February 2020 at 12:30.

Besides the startup pitches, Toyota’s 3-day program includes

• Main stage keynote speech by Agustin Martin, CEO at Toyota Connected Europe and Jim Adler, Managing Director and Board Member of Toyota AI Ventures
• Several Toyota Executives presentations (Toyota’s vision of future mobility, e-palette)
• “Start Your Impossible” stories by a wheelchair motocross athlete and a Paralympic Athlete
• And many other inspirational talks from guest speakers in the entrepreneurial world

Details Toyota Stand

• 4YFN event – Hall 2 B100
• Fira Montjuïc, Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, 08004 Barcelona
• Between 24 and 26 February 2020
• Contact for media interviews: Carol Coolsaet (carol.coolsaet@toyota-europe.com)

ISDI Press details

Alexandra Carrasco Szulc

Communications Manager - ISDI Accelerator

Tel: +34 690 695 963

E-mail: acarrasco@isdi.education

Interested startups can apply between December 20 and January 26. One of the main criteria is that applicants must focus on the following three fields:

     · Socially inclusive mobility: Mobility solutions that are created to meet the unfulfilled mobility needs of people with a physical impairment, elderly and children, as well as people living in suburban areas.

     · Accessibility: Provide innovative approaches that increase the accessibility to mobility solutions and thereby enable a “Mobility for All” future.

     · Disruptive Mobility: Development of new products, services, tools, technologies and / or disruptive business models that can contribute to a “Mobility for All” future.

A jury formed by experts from TME and ISDI Accelerator will choose among the applications a maximum of eight projects that will become finalists for the Toyota Startup Awards and join Toyota at 4YFN. The selected startups will benefit from:

     ● Free booth space in Toyota’s stand at 4YFN during the three days of the event to showcase their innovative product or solution.

     ● An exclusive time slot on the Toyota stage at 4YFN to pitch their solution.

     ● Exposure to event visitors, investors and Toyota executives.

     ● Access to MWC Barcelona on Thursday 27 February 2020 for their startup team.

     ● Accommodation during the 4YFN event for two members of the startup team.

     ● The opportunity to win a fast track to the Toyota Accelerator Program that will offer training, mentoring, brokerage with private investors as well as potential future collaboration with TME.

The winners of the Toyota Startup Awards will be announced by Toyota on the main stage of 4YFN on 25 February 2020.

Toyota’s “Start Your Impossible” global corporate story conveys the message that when people are free to move, anything is possible. Toyota believes that mobility goes beyond cars; it is about overcoming limitations. In this spirit our mission is to provide freedom of movement for everyone. Our vision is to offer integrated mobility solutions to everyone, including those with physical impairments, ensuring a more open and inclusive society that allows people to challenge their potential.

Startups are invited to apply via the dedicated website: http://toyotastartupawards.com/

ISDI Press details

Alexandra Carrasco Szulc

Communications Manager - ISDI Accelerator

Tel: +34 690 695 963

E-mail: acarrasco@isdi.education

Tokyo, Japan, August 23, 2019 – Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, today announced that it will provide a full line-up of electrified vehicles, including unique versions of certain vehicles as well as vehicles developed specifically to support the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020). With its electrified line-up, Toyota, together with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to achieve the lowest emissions target level of any official fleet used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and thereby also helping to reduce the environmental burden of the Games.

Toyota will provide a total of around 3,700 mobility products and/or vehicles for Tokyo 2020. The majority, or nearly 90 percent, of the official vehicle fleet will be electrified. Electrified vehicles include Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), such as the hydrogen-powered Mirai, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), the Prius PHV (known as Prius Prime in some markets), and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), including the “APM” (Accessible People Mover) and the e-Palette as well as TOYOTA Concept-i, which will provide a unique and wide-range of diverse mobility during Tokyo 2020. Among the electrified vehicles provided, Toyota will include approximately 500 FCEVs and approximately 850 BEVs, the largest of any fleet for a Games to date.

Out of the approx. 3,700 mobility products and/or vehicles for Tokyo 2020, 2,700 vehicles will be part of the official fleet providing transportation support between venues during the Olympic Games. These will be commercially-available vehicles, such as Mirai, etc. Preliminary calculations suggest that the CO₂ emitted by the commercially-available fleet for Tokyo 2020 will average less than 80 g/km*¹, resulting in a reduction by approx. half of the typical amount when compared to a similar sized fleet of mostly conventional gasoline and diesel models. Additionally, further reductions are anticipated during the Games when combined with Toyota’s other advanced mobility products and/or electrified vehicles, including the unique versions of vehicles or vehicles designed for use at the Games. As such, Toyota aims to achieve the lowest emissions target level of any official fleet used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Furthermore, to help avoid collisions and reduce/mitigate potential damage or injury, all of the commercially-available vehicles for staff transportation support will come equipped with Toyota’s preventative safety technologies, including “Toyota Safety Sense” and “Lexus Safety System +”. Additionally, nearly all the commercially-available vehicles will also be equipped with Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS), designed to assist with braking in the event of unintended misapplication of the acceleration pedal.

Aside from the official fleet, Toyota will also support Games operations with other vehicles, including the mass-transit Fuel Cell Bus “Sora”, assistive vehicles that help lift passengers into their seats or are equipped with an attached slope to allow passengers with wheelchairs access to enter the vehicle via the back door, and other vehicles such as Fuel Cell Forklifts made and sold by Toyota Industries Corporation.

Toyota’s Pillars for Tokyo 2020

Toyota’s three main pillars for Tokyo 2020 center on (1) Mobility for All, or allowing all people the freedom to move, (2) Sustainability, centering on the realization of a hydrogen society (environment/safety), and (3) Transportation support for the Games using the Toyota Production System (TPS). With these three pillars, Toyota aims to provide mobility solutions that go beyond the traditional provision of vehicles.

Through its full line-up of electrified vehicles to reduce environmental impact and mobility solutions that combine TPS with diverse mobility, Toyota will support smooth operations for Tokyo 2020, while also supporting the transport of those attending the Games, including staff, athletes, and visitors. Furthermore, through its robots, Toyota will provide support of event operations and unique experiences, exceeding the general notion of what mobility means for the Games. These activities will be pursued while Toyota continues to challenge itself to provide “Mobility for All” by offering various mobility solutions to make Tokyo 2020 a one-of-a-kind event.

Below is an outline of the main vehicles that Toyota will provide:

1/ Vehicles developed specifically for Tokyo 2020

​APM

• Approx. 200 units to help attendees with special mobility needs travel within Tokyo 2020 event venues such as the Olympic Stadium and Ariake Tennis Park for “last one mile” transportation and relief activities
• Details of the APM were released on July 18 (full release here)

2/ Unique vehicle versions for Tokyo 2020

e-Palette (Tokyo 2020 version)

• Toyota’s first BEV developed specifically for Autono-MaaS^*2, the Tokyo 2020 e-Palette will support transportation needs of staff and athletes, with a dozen or more running on a continuous loop within the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
• With a low-floor, electric slope and by stopping precisely at each stop, leaving little to no gap or opening between the curb and the bus, the e-Palette will make travel easier for wheelchair passengers and support smooth transport over short distances.
• The vehicle is anticipated to feature automated driving (up to SAE Level 4^*3). In addition to having an operator aboard every vehicle to monitor the automated driving operation, Toyota will also provide a digital control system to monitor the general operating conditions of the vehicle.

Vehicle specifications

Toyota Concept-i (Tokyo 2020 version)

• With a characteristic “high-tech one-motion silhouette” exterior design, the Concept-i hopes to bring further excitement and attention to the Games through its activities as the operating vehicle at the Olympic torch relay and lead vehicle in the marathon.
• Also, in addition to the vehicles provided for the Games, the public roads surrounding the Toyota City Showcase “MEGAWEB” in the Tokyo Odaiba/Toyosu area are expected to be used for test rides/drives of vehicles with advanced driving technology. This includes the Toyota Concept-i, which will demonstrate automated driving (SAE Level 4^*3) and its functions, including “Agent conversation”, that uses artificial intelligence to understand people, helping people experience new ways to move as well as the future of “beloved cars”.

​

Vehicle specifications

3/ Other vehicles

Mirai

• Approx. 500 will be provided for the transport of Games’ staff around Tokyo 2020 official venues.
• For further details on Mirai, please see the press release here

​

Walking area BEVs

• Toyota will provide approximately 300 units of its standing-type personal mobility devices for use by security/medical staff centering around and within Tokyo 2020 venues, such as the Olympic Stadium and Ariake Tennis Park
• Furthermore, Toyota is exploring the use of its sitting-type and wheelchair-link personal mobility devices for those in wheelchairs and with difficulty walking

*1 Calculation by Toyota based on information available in product catalogs. For PHEV calculation, it is based on Toyota calculation methods outlined in a report created on March 1, 2013 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. For some vehicles with special customization for Tokyo 2020, Toyota calculates fuel consumption according to the weight increase due to customization. As of August 23, 2019.

*2 Combination of “autonomous” and “mobility as a service” describing Toyota’s mobility services using automated driving vehicles

*3 SAE Level references can be found here

With the unveiling of the world’s first Hybrid Skatepark, Toyota reinforces its commitment to delivering ever better mobility for all.

As part of its shift from a car company to a mobility company, Toyota has been engaging in long term global partnerships with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Toyota has launched a global call to action, called “Start Your Impossible”. It has also started other mobility initiatives such as the Universal Street Games or the Toyota Mobility Project. To support this approach, the Toyota Wheel Park project aims to bring a smile to multiple generations. It wants to unlock the power of the wheel to transform the way people interact with each other and the world around us.

Toyota’s Wheel Park in Rome is more than just a skatepark. Within a single facility, it brings together a number of wheeled Freesports, including BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross), the newest Olympic sport Skateboarding and one of the youngest action sports on the planet, WCMX (WheelChair Moto Cross). Designed with the needs of athletes with a physical impairment in mind, the park aims to drive social inclusion, urban regeneration and help create new mixed sporting communities.

Whether on two wheels or four, sitting or standing, practitioners of wheeled action sports share a unique way of seeing the world. They have a way of turning the act of getting from A to B, into a moment of creative self-expression, freedom and fun that can serve as an inspiration to us all.

Toyota is proud to have been able to partner with Rome’s Bunker (BNKR) Skatepark to introduce the idea of a Hybrid Skatepark. It is the first accessible wheel park that brings together both adaptive and non-adaptive wheeled action sports into a single facility.

Over the last 8 years, BNKR has helped develop and define skateboard culture in Rome, operating summer schools, skate camps, and the innovative skate therapy program. Working together, Toyota and BNKR have built on the designs developed for a test park built in Copenhagen, to ensure the park in Rome is WCMX accessible, and the promise of a Hybrid Skatepark could be fulfilled.

Whether through the provision of specialist WCMX equipment allowing wheelchair based athletes to try the sport for the first time or the design and build of new accessible ramps, Toyota has focused on removing all possible barriers to participation. This way of working brings to life the brand’s belief that when we are free to move anything is possible.

From 2017, Toyota will work with the IOC, the respective Organising Committees of the Olympic Games and with the National Olympic Committees around the world to provide sustainable mobility solutions to help with safer, more efficient mobility, including intelligent transport systems, urban traffic systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems. The Toyota-IOC partnership agreement runs through to the end of 2024 in the mobility category, which includes vehicles, mobility services and mobility solutions.

The vehicles delivered today use Toyota’s latest hybrid technology, combining the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors to provide low emission transport to the IOC administration.

After receiving the cars, IOC President Thomas Bach said “This is another step in this exciting partnership, and I am particularly delighted about the new hybrid cars, which is another clear demonstration of the IOC’s commitment towards sustainability. I would like to thank Mr. Akio Toyoda for his great personal commitment, Mr. Rhomberg and his team here in Switzerland as well as the fleet team in Toyota Motor Europe based in Brussels for their support in implementing this programme.”

Toyota also wants to use the partnership to truly embrace the spirit of the Games in its day-to-day business. When announcing the partnership in March 2015, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda said: "We will do everything possible to fulfil our new role in The Olympic Partner programme, and justify the trust the IOC has placed in us. The addition of a mobility category to the TOP Partner field is an important recognition for our entire industry. Under this Olympic flag, let us today reaffirm the power of sports to bring people together. And let us dedicate ourselves to creating a better world by promoting sports in the Olympic spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play." 

http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/6912320

TMG has implemented its advanced composite technology, honed in Formula 1 and at the Le Mans 24 Hours, to develop a cutting-edge sled to help Andrea in her quest for gold medals in Sochi to add to the silver and bronze medals she won at Vancouver 2010.

The TMG sled is made entirely of carbon fibre, reducing its overall weight from 5.5kg to just 4.172kg, and is designed to fit perfectly around Andrea, who is 42 and from Apolda in Germany.

It was designed in close cooperation with Andrea, whose relationship with TMG began in 2011 when the Cologne-based company cooperated on a seat insert for her double gold medal-winning performance in the cycling at the London Paralympics.

The initial project team of Andrea and TMG staff Gerard Winstanley, Norbert Schäfer and Sergej Blech began with a clean sheet of paper and developed the most ergonomic shape, targeting comfort and weight saving whilst also ensuring reliability at temperatures of potentially -20°C much colder than those faced by any of TMG's race cars.

But genuine Formula 1 parts have made it to the final design, with F1 suspension elements used to create strong and aerodynamic legs for the sled, with these parts bonded to the main chassis of the sled.

Specific attention was paid to developing an innovative solution which allows the skis to be easily clipped on and off the legs, saving weight and ensuring optimum performance at speeds of up to 50km/h.

Using experienced gained from the top level of motorsport, TMG's composites experts crafted a bodyshell mainly of 1.5mm carbon fibre, with 2mm material used directly under Andrea's body to cope with the extreme load cases generated there.

A Formula 1-style seat fitting was carried out with Andrea, but the resulting foam insert proved marginally too heavy so a specialist insert from orthopaedic specialists, and long-term supporters of Andrea, Rapp und Seifert was chosen instead.

Andrea will take part in a total of seven events in Sochi covering biathlon (6km, 10km and 12.5km), cross-country skiing (1km, 5km and 10km) and a team relay. Her first event begins on 8 March.

Andrea Eskau: "In my sport, a sled has to feel like it is part of you and the TMG sled really feels like a second skin. The quality of design and finish that Gerard and his team have achieved is extremely impressive when you see the sled it is obviously the result of some serious engineering and manufacturing expertise. I have been training extensively with the new sled and through this process we have fine-tuned the design to deliver optimal performance. As an athlete it is vitally important to focus entirely on the challenge ahead you don't want to be distracted by equipment which doesn't fit you perfectly or moves too much during the event. Thanks to TMG I now have absolute confidence in my sled and I'm determined to reward their energy with medals in Sochi."

Gerard Winstanley, TMG Manager Composite, Fabrication and Rapid Manufacturing: "It has been an absolute privilege to work with Andrea on this project she is a truly amazing woman and phenomenal athlete. Her enthusiasm just rubbed off on everyone and really got the project off to a flying start. It was an awe-inspiring experience to meet Andrea at TMG after the London Paralympics and actually hold her two gold medals everyone involved in the project was energised by that and by her dedication. It has been an interesting technical challenge and one for which we have used a very personal approach, tailoring everything exactly to Andrea's individual needs. The end result is a unique prototype which we hope will help Andrea to win more medals, which she richly deserves."

About TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH:

TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has been based in Cologne, Germany since 1979 and built its reputation in the World Rally Championship, winning four drivers' and three manufacturers' title during a long participation which ended in 1999. TMG was also the home of TOYOTA's works Le Mans 24 Hours (1998-1999) and Formula 1 (2002-2009) teams, both of whom achieved pole and podium positions, and a tuning and sports conversion subsidiary (established in 1994). Since 2009, TMG is a leading engineering services supplier, offering its cutting-edge development facilities and know-how to a range of industries. It is also a pioneer in electric vehicle development and set new EV records at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2012. Since 2012, TMG has competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, competing with a hybrid car designed and built in Cologne. www.toyota-motorsport.com / www.toyotahybridracing.com