Climate Technology Startup Platform URBAN-X by MINI Launches Newest Cohort

September 15, 2022 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--URBAN-X, the platform by MINI for climate and urban technology startups, in partnership with leading venture capital firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), today announced five new early stage startups that will be participating in its 11th cohort. Selected out of a pool of over 250 applicants from across the globe, these startups are building solutions to combat the world's climate emergency, with a particular focus on the built environment and transit accessibility.

Home to more than 55% of the world's population and responsible for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, cities are central to the fight against climate change. As more leaders across the public and private sectors look for solutions to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate, MINI through URBAN-X is building the next generation of entrepreneurs looking to tackle these issues head on. In its 11th cohort, URBAN-X is working directly with companies that focus on the built environment, mobility, and energy and the grid – including urban rooftop farm developments, retrofit solutions, next-generation heating and cooling technology, and transit accessibility software.

"MINI has a deep history of developing solutions at the intersection of mobility, living, and design to improve quality of life in cities," said Mike Peyton, Vice President of MINI of the Americas. "We've had the privilege of working with some of the most exciting companies reimagining city life and we look forward to building on the success of URBAN-X through this new partnership with JVP as we continue to advance solutions across mobility, and those beyond the car that promote progress on Climate Tech."

Throughout the duration of the 5-month program, the companies will receive hands-on, bespoke guidance with customer discovery and engagement, product development, talent acquisition, and brand and network-building. They will have access to URBAN-X's expansive network of world-class design, engineering, and brand experts from MINI, as well as JVP's global network.

"There is no one-stop solution to climate change, instead, the reality is that it will take effort across all industries to reach our climate goals," said Johan Schwind, Managing Director of URBAN-X. "At URBAN-X, we see opportunities to support solutions with clear value propositions and measurable impact. We are excited to work with these founders from across the globe to build a greener, more resilient future."

The complete list of URBAN-X Cohort 11 companies include:

• DirtSat: Provides data-driven tools and a streamlined marketplace for the development of urban rooftop farms on commercial buildings.

• Dollaride: Connects businesses, drivers, and riders with an easy-to-use software platform that provides reliable transit in underserved areas.

• Dynamic Air Cooling: Builds environmentally-friendly air conditioning and refrigeration technology for industrial applications without synthetic HFC coolants or thermal emissions.

• Enerdrape: Develops heat-exchangers for underground buildings that tie in with existing heat pump infrastructure, providing a renewable source of energy for buildings and structures in cities.

• MIMiC Systems: Improves how buildings manage heating and cooling by developing technology for personalized comfort.

The launch of Cohort 11 comes after a kick-off for the International ClimateTech Center at Margalit Startup City NYC. Through a partnership with JVP, URBAN-X and the City of New York, the center will support and scale sustainable, technological solutions to climate change in cities, while making NYC the investment capital of the world. This comes after URBAN-X announced its new venture partnership with JVP, a leading global venture firm, in May, to support high-impact startups building solutions to tackle climate change and create more livable cities.

Launched in 2016 by MINI, URBAN-X aims to accelerate urban innovation by empowering startup founders to build breakthrough, scalable solutions to some of today's most pressing urban problems. URBAN-X has supported over 70 founders building solutions to address complex challenges facing cities. To date, URBAN-X has helped to enable startups to collectively raise $440M, from seed to Series B, alongside four company exit

About URBAN-X

URBAN-X is the platform for founders reimagining city life. Built by MINI in 2016, URBAN-X partners with startups to build bold technology solutions for a sustainable planet. Breaking from traditional startup program molds, URBAN-X provides entrepreneurs from Seed to Series B with individualized and tailored support that accelerates growth and builds successful businesses for the next generation of climate- and city-focused innovators. Core to its platform, URBAN-X offers world-class engineering and design resources, industry-leading investment capital from our venture partner JVP, a global network of investors, policymakers, corporate strategies and end-customers, and premier educational content for a global network of founders. Find URBAN-X on Twitter & Instagram at @urbanxtech and on Facebook at facebook.com/urbanxtech.

About MINI in the US

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented by a network of 105 MINI passenger car dealers located throughout the US. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.

Journalist note: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com.

About JVP

JVP, is an internationally renowned venture capital fund based in Israel. Established in 1993 by Dr. Erel Margalit, JVP has raised to date $1.6 billion across 10 funds, and has been listed numerous times by Preqin, and other rankings, as one of the top-ten consistently performing VC firms worldwide. JVP has built over 160 companies, leveraging a broad network of partners and market expertise to help companies become global market leaders. Among the pioneering firms of the Israeli venture capital industry, JVP has been instrumental in building some of the largest companies out of Israel, facilitating 12 Initial Public Offerings on NASDAQ including CyberArk Software (NASDAQ: CYBR, $3.6 billion mkt. cap.), QLIK Technologies (NASDAQ: QLIK, then $2.5 billion mkt. cap.) and Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI, $2.3 billion mkt. cap.). https://www.jvpvc.com/