Press Room

NS and ANWB pick 'Holland’s best' smart mobility ideas

Written by Jenny Aguilera | Feb 18, 2016 11:15:26 AM

The jury unanimously chose Predict.io as the overall winner.


The national railways (NS) and car owners bond ANWB went looking for the best smart mobility solutions last week.Eleven startups were selected out of 140 applicants to pitch in front of CEO’s Roger van Boxtel and Frits van Bruggen. This is how they want to enhance the commuter’s life.

 

The Netherlands is a busy little country, counting 8 million (registered) cars. Over a million passengers travel by
train on a daily basis. In a slowly improving economy we are faced with longer traffic jams and more disruptions on
the railroad each year.

 

The need to travel sustainable is therefore high on the agenda of practically everyone in The Netherlands. One only
needs to check Twitter to see that everyone has an opinion about the NS. The railway company therefore recently
set up an investment fund of 5 million euro for smart mobility startups.

 

Incubators YES!Delft and UtrechtInc co-hosted the Smart Mobility Pitch Event on February 18 to find the best smart
mobility entrepreneurs. “We are ready for innovation”, Van Boxtel declared. “The future of mobility asks for smart
solutions.” – the best ones are invited for lunch with both CEO’s.

 

Travel predictions

The jury unanimously chose Predict.io as the overall winner. The company turns smartphones into sensors to
provide real-time travel predictions, most importantly: gentle reminders for travelers to check out their public
transport cards. Probably the number one hassle of travelers.