The European Startup Prize for Mobility has unveiled its annual list of the 50 most promising clean mobility startups at the ChangeNOW summit in Paris.
This marks the sixth edition of the event which The Brussels Times is the official media partner of. The initiative aims to identify and accelerate high-impact innovations across the continent.
Selected from over 500 applicants, the 2025 cohort reflects the diversity of the European startup ecosystem.
France, Germany, the UK, Israel, Sweden remain dominant players in this year. The 2025 list also shows increased representation from the Nordic and Baltic ecosystems, which are more and more visible on the mobility scene: startups from Finland, Norway, and Iceland have joined the ranks, alongside two promising companies from Estonia.
Despite a broader funding slowdown in the European mobility startup landscape, this year’s selection also includes a notable number of early-stage companies, challenging the assumption that new ventures are struggling to gain traction. The list spans a wide range of development phases, from bootstrapped innovators to scale-ups backed by leading venture capital funds.
Among the cohort, several female-led startups - particularly in the hardware sector - stand out, reflecting a slowly but steadily diversifying mobility scene.
Tech shifts and emerging solutions
Battery technologies continue to represent a significant portion of the cohort, but a noticeable shift is also taking place. Micromobility - ranging from lightweight electric vehicles to shared last-mile solutions - is losing ground while the growing integration of AI into mobility platforms is reflecting a broader digital transformation in how Europe moves.
As for the precise technologies, unsurprisingly, we see the strong representation in the field of battery lifecycle - the leading category this year - covering everything from recycling and reuse to performance optimization. Micromobility - ranging from lightweight electric vehicles to shared last-mile solutions - appears to be losing momentum, while the growing integration of AI into mobility platforms reflects a broader digital transformation in how Europe moves. In parallel, the increasing prominence of smart city solutions, including connected infrastructure, highlights a clear shift toward the seamless integration of mobility within urban ecosystems.
Electrification remains a cornerstone of the transition, supported by advances in charging infrastructure, energy systems, and bolstered by innovation in connected vehicle technologies and autonomous mobility. Meanwhile, mobility platforms continue to play a central role by enabling service bundling and multimodal travel.
While some categories remain more emerging - such as inclusive mobility or insurance for sustainable transport solutions - their presence reflects a growing awareness of niche but strategically relevant challenges. Finally, the inclusion of startups focused on safety and prevention underlines a wider push for resilient and secure mobility systems.
This year, the Prize co-founders, Karima Delli, Boston Consulting Group and Via ID, chose the ChangeNow green innovation summit to present the results. On stage, Delli, who also served as the Chairwoman of the Transport Committee in the European Parliament until 2025, said that “each of these 50 startups is a glimpse into the future of mobility — cleaner, fairer, and smarter. As we face a climate emergency, they offer concrete, scalable solutions to decarbonise transport and reconnect our territories”. Addressing the political context, she added that “Europe must support these pioneers if we want to lead the green transition and deliver on our climate goals."
According to David Schwarz, CEO of Via ID, co-founder of the Prize, the selection process, involving over 100 evaluators from across Europe, offers an objective snapshot of today’s mobility startup landscape. “We’re proud to welcome these newcomers into our mobility ecosystem and support them as they go further - conquering new markets and geographic zones, shaping the future of sustainable transport".
The full list of the Top 50 startups is available on the European Startup Prize for Mobility’s website.
