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EIT Urban Mobility, 8200 Impact and CityZone join forces to build synergies for the global mobility start-up ecosystem

EIT Urban Mobility announced today that it is joining forces with 8200 Impact and its partner CityZone to act as its ecosystem agent in Israel for 2023. This collaboration aims to build bridges between the European and the Israeli mobility ecosystems, to support start-ups from both sides, and to unlock the untapped potential of the mobility sector.

Following the announcement of its collaboration with the Paris Ecosystem in August this year, EIT Urban Mobility is reaching out to collaborate with Israel’s vibrant start-up ecosystem for strategic interventions, knowledge sharing and investment portfolio support. Israel boasts the highest start-up density per capita in the world and the highest gross domestic spending on R&D in the OECD. In 2021, it raised a record of USD 26.5 billion in venture capital funding.

Alongside fields like cybersecurity, fintech, IT and data infrastructures, Israel’s smart mobility ecosystem is gaining serious momentum in recent years. It includes over 600 start-ups today, and is home to renowned companies such as Waze (acquired by Google), Mobileye and Moovit (acquired by Intel).

Among other activities, 8200 Impact and CityZone will hold workshops on impact investments for investors and start-ups, networking events and an exclusive two-month acceleration program for the most promising European and Israeli start-ups focusing on inclusive mobility. On top of that, EIT Urban Mobility will conduct strategic investments in two early-stage Israeli start-ups recommended by 8200 Impact and CityZone. The promising companies will have access to capital of up to EUR 500 000, as well as piloting opportunities in leading European cities and fast-track introductions to the largest pan-European mobility network.

A diverse, well-functioning and dynamic ecosystem is crucial for start-up growth: for better access to diverse and bigger markets, industry leaders, support organizations, talent, knowledge, and capital. In EIT Urban Mobility, we welcome this new collaboration with 8200 Impact and CityZone, to provide services both to mobility start-ups in Israel’s vibrant ecosystem, and to our European equity portfolio start-ups interested in Israel’s market and knowledge. 

Fredrik Hånell, Impact venture director at EIT Urban Mobility

Since its creation, EIT Urban Mobility, with its investment capacities, has already invested EUR 4 million in 45 mobility start-ups from 16 European and associated Horizon 2020 countries, including Israel. Thanks to the intervention and expertise of 8200 Impact and CityZone, EIT Urban Mobility will be able to better target the ventures that have innovative solutions with high impact potential on tomorrow’s mobility.