Hyundai Motor Group is inviting startups to an open innovation platform, '2021 ZER01NE Accelerator to collaborate on future technologies.’
This initiative aims to discover valuable startups and explore the possibilities of strategic usage of their innovative technologies.
Interested startups can apply to one of the 45 projects derived by the Group’s internal teams under eight key themes: mobility and logistics, eco-tech, in-car UX, vision AI, AI analytics, materials, drones, and robot material and interactive contents.
According to Hyundai, startups can only apply for one specific project. The Group’s organisations responsible for the particular technology developments will be directly involved in reviewing and recruiting the applicants for each project.
Selected startups will be provided with a project development budget and have the opportunity to be evaluated for equity investments.
In addition, the vehicle maker says only registered corporations will be eligible for consideration and can submit their application on the official application website from July 1 to July 29. Results will be announced on September 8.
ZER01NE provides a playground for the creative talents where they carry out what they find fun and meaningful as much as they wish in their heart. It is not only about space and facilities; it also has creative talents from a diverse range of fields, startups and companies who can play together and plays that can be enjoyed together, such as programmes and projects.
It recruits its creative talents to play together in the 4th quarter every year, and the play starts in the 1st quarter.
The creative talents can be involved in planning the programmes such as Insight trip, Seminars and Forums or making their club for their activities. The programme supports them so that these creatively planned individuals or team projects can be carried out.
Since ZER01NE Accelerator was introduced in 2018, 60 teams from nine affiliates of the Group and 73 startups have worked together on 64 collaborative projects. This has led to 39 startups successfully receiving equity investments from the Group, the company said.