Investing in impact: the companies set to impact how we move in 2025

The mobility landscape is always evolving in the pursuit of more efficient, sustainable and safe solutions. Every year, new innovations emerge to meet the needs and habits of users. Startups continue to play a central role in providing such solutions and disrupting the status quo. What are some key and common mobility challenges facing us in Europe today? As we look to the year ahead, we examine some mobility topics and startups primed to create a positive impact in 2025.   

Electrification: retrofitting for the future 

Electrification of transport refers to the shift from traditional, fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), supported by the development of EV charging infrastructure, to reduce emissions and promote sustainability in urban transportation. While EV adoption has largely been incentivised until now, enforced policy is the next step. The EU has set a target in which EVs should account for 80% of new car sales by 2030, and 100% by 2035. In France, regulations permitting, or restricting certain classes of vehicles in dedicated Low Emission Mobility Zones have steadily come into effect in different cities. This classification, indicated with a sticker, prioritises the least polluting vehicles. 

In Rouen, such regulations have taken effect from 1 January to facilitate an improvement in air quality. To take the lead, the city sought this initial acquisition from TOLV, a provider of standardised and modular EV conversion kits for public and private actors committed to accelerating their energy transition in a practical, responsible and cost-efficient way.

By retrofitting traditional fuel-powered vehicles to electric, these kits prolong the lifespan of vehicles while avoiding the environmental cost of manufacturing a new electric vehicle. The benefits for those who convert their vehicle are significant: a 60% reduction in operating costs compared to traditional vehicles and unrestricted movement in low-emission zones. By avoiding the purchase of new vehicles through retrofitting, Rouen not only is significantly reducing their carbon footprint but also making major financial savings at the same time. 

Public transport: predictive rail systems hold the key to change 

Public transport refers to shared transportation services, such as buses, trams, subways and trains that are available for use by the public. Public transport systems aim to provide efficient, affordable and sustainable and safe mobility options. Across Europe, regions have to contend with a variety of mobility challenges shaped by geography, population or even cultural factors. One form of transport which provides a significant degree of connectivity and sustainability throughout Europe is rail. According to the European Environment Agency, while transport accounted for 25% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, aviation contributed 13% of those emissions while rail’s impact was only 0.4% 

Asistobe is addressing these challenges with a frontend platform for public transport planners that helps to align public transport plans with anticipated future demand in cities, shifting the planning approach from reactive to predictive with the power of AI and Big Data. The necessity of this technology has been best illustrated by the work completed in Bergen, Norway – improving the efficiency of a light rail system through its expansion. In gaining a deep understanding of the transportation needs of the area, they were then able to propose transport scenarios that could be handled by the expanded network. This resulted in a 23% reduction in operational savings, 25% in increase in annual passengers, and a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions. 

Logistics: making road-based delivery efficient 

Enhancing and improving rail management and maintenance holds great potential for the transport of goods, just as it does for people. Urban logistics involves the planning and management of the transportation and distribution of goods within urban areas, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability and minimising environmental impacts. With logistics accounting for approximately 25% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions, over 50% of these emissions come from road-based transport, research shows. 

Meight is redefining road logistics by leveraging data from millions of journeys to anticipate driver behaviour in real-time, helping reduce costs and emissions journey-by-journey. Inspired by the attention to detail given to the smallest details typical to racing, Meight applies this same precision to help drivers win in the race for efficiency in long-haul road transport.

The benefits come in many shapes: freight management, fleet monitoring and driver support to name a few. This contributes to efficiency gains, which in turn reduces cost and time on the road for drivers, leading to a positive environmental impact.  

Health and mobility: back to basics  

Health and mobility relate to the impact of transportation choices on public health, including promoting active modes of transportation (e.g. walking and cycling), improving air quality and reducing noise pollution.

Across Europe, there are many companies taking different approaches to improve participation in active mobility. Walking, an accessible form of mobility for most people, has the benefit of giving both personal health and social benefits while reducing emissions. When considered as part of an integrated and multi-modal transport system, active mobility becomes paramount. 

Walk15 is a global walking platform, designed to engage individuals and organisations in physical activity. It enables users to create and take part in step challenges, unlocking exclusive discounts and analysing activity data. With Lithuania’s largest fitness community – representing 20% of the country's population – Walk15 has grown to 625,000 users and counting across the globe.

Most recently chosen as an official partner of Lithuania’s National Mobility Challenge, which encouraged cities, towns, schools, universities, communities and Lithuanian expats worldwide to actively walk and cycle. Over a period of two months, 60,000 participants accumulated over 45 billion steps during the challenge, showcasing the impact of the platform.  

Mobility: a holistic challenge 

Urban mobility challenges are difficult to solve and require comprehensive solutions. Electrification, public transport, logistics and active mobility must be viewed as parts of one interconnected system. Adjustments to one component, such as bus schedule changes or parking facility locations, have impacts on the effectiveness and use of the transport system as a whole. This is why EIT Urban Mobility views urban mobility through a holistic lens. As such, this list of solutions and startups is just a microcosm of the European mobility sector but importantly includes companies from across the EU.  

EIT Urban Mobility’s pan-European approach reflects the holistic nature that we must adopt in viewing challenges and finding solutions to match. Some regions have mobility challenges specific to their location, while others share common challenges – thus, it is by creating a network of learning and sharing that we will find the solutions we need.  

To discover EIT Urban Mobility’s startup portfolio, click here.