How EIT Urban Mobility is putting the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy into action
The European Commission’s new Startup and Scaleup Strategy, published on 28 May 2025, outlines a bold goal: making Europe the best place in the world to launch and grow innovative companies. At EIT Urban Mobility, this ambition is already taking shape – city by city, startup by startup.
We are pleased to have contributed to the European Commission’s consultation on the strategy, advocating for more innovation-friendly procurement, stronger startup ecosystems, and inclusive support mechanisms.
In line with our feedback, the strategy highlights critical barriers to startup growth in Europe: market fragmentation, limited financing, risk-averse public procurement, and a significant gender gap in entrepreneurship. These aren’t theoretical challenges for us; they’re tangible issues we address every day.
Turning policy into practice: real-world pilots and public procurement
The Commission’s focus on innovation-friendly regulation, including support for regulatory sandboxes and smarter public procurement, aligns directly with our work. Our Rapid Applications for Transport (RAPTOR) programme enables cities to test and implement mobility solutions from startups quickly and effectively. So far, 43 real-world pilots in 36 cities across 21 countries have led to a 95% rate of procurement or adoption – proof that public procurement can be a powerful driver of innovation when barriers are reduced.
Driving access to finance and deep tech investment
Access to finance remains a major hurdle, especially in deep tech. EIT Urban Mobility is already playing a leading role here. As Europe’s most active mobility startup investor, EIT Urban Mobility has invested over €17 million in 460+ ventures, supporting them with not just capital but also technical expertise, real-world testing, and policy-aligned scaleup pathways. Through the Mobility Corporate Venture Builder, we co-create new companies with a focus on sustainability, inclusion, and gender equality, while linking them to corporates embracing open innovation.
Building skills for a future-ready workforce
Talent and upskilling are central to the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy – and a core focus of EIT Urban Mobility. Through our Academy and professional learning programmes, we have already trained over 32,000 urban mobility professionals, supporting public and private actors to lead Europe’s green and digital transition.
Our EIT-labelled courses, developed in collaboration with leading practitioners and academic partners, provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning opportunities for reskilling and upskilling. Through Urban Mobility Explained (UMX), we also offer on-demand courses and videos tailored to professionals and city officials.
Closing the gender gap: action, not words
The strategy notes that only 3% of venture capital in Europe reaches all-women founding teams. In contrast, 36% of the startups supported by EIT Urban Mobility have at least one woman in a leadership role. This progress stems from structured support through initiatives like SUPERNOVAS, which promotes women’s entrepreneurship and increases female participation in early-stage funding.
We also host Women in Tech Breakfasts, fostering community among female founders, and produce inclusive learning tools, including the course “Insights into gender-specific differences in urban transport” and the video “How to make urban cycling more attractive to women?”.
Beyond mobility, we contribute to entrepreneurial education across Europe through projects like Girls Go Circular, which has trained over 40,000 girls aged 14-19 in green, digital, and innovation skills – helping break gender stereotypes and inspire the next generation of female change-makers.
A thriving mobility ecosystem
Since our launch, we’ve supported 455+ startups with funding, mentoring, and access to cities, helping turn ideas into real-world solutions and building a strong, inclusive innovation pipeline. Unlike many actors that offer only funding, EIT Urban Mobility provides a full innovation ecosystem.
We support startups at every step, from idea to pilot, from training to market – our Startups Growth Lab offers a one-stop platform for founders to access funding, city calls, industry news, mentors, peer networks and cross-sectoral partners, helping them stay focused on scaling.
We take startups by the hand and help them grow sustainably, in alignment with both local needs and EU policy goals. Also thanks to this, 11 startups we support are among the semi-finalists of the 2025 European Startup Prize for Mobility – demonstrating the high quality and future-readiness of the ventures we support.
A strategy we believe in – and help deliver
From innovation procurement to diversity and investment, the new Startup and Scaleup Strategy echoes many of the priorities we’ve championed from the beginning. We’re encouraged to see the European Commission aligning with proven approaches – and we’re ready to go further.
Europe doesn’t need to start from scratch – it needs to scale what works. EIT Urban Mobility and the wider EIT Community are proud to help turn the strategy into reality, building an ecosystem where Europe’s most promising mobility innovators can thrive.