Zparq And Lios Claim European Startup Prize For Mobility Awards

Sweden’s Zparq and Ireland’s Lios took home the Jury Award and the Audience Award at the seventh edition of the European Startup Prize for Mobility, held Wednesday during Luxembourg Venture Days.

With fuel prices on the rise, the consequences of climate change becoming increasingly serious, and our cities in constant transformation, mobility matters more than ever. But “mobility is about much more than transport,” said Karima Delli, creator of the European Startup Prize for Mobility, speaking during the award ceremony Wednesday evening.

For the former chair of the European Parliament’s committee on transport and tourism, mobility is about the cost of living, quality of life, and the freedom to move. Innovative solutions require more than just political decisions – they also need the courage and creativity of entrepreneurs, which is how the accelerator and investment programme for sustainable mobility was born.

430+ applications

Founded in 2017, the programme is now in its seventh edition. This year, it received applications from over 430 startups.

Nearly 100 independent experts analysed the applications and selected 50 startups on the basis of the innovativeness of their business model, the relevant market, the execution of their solution, the strength and gender balance of their leadership team, the impact they have on climate and the environment, the degree to which they improve social and territorial inclusion, and the extent to which they would benefit from a European programme.

The top 10 startups from these 50 companies, announced at Luxembourg Venture Days, will benefit from the acceleration programme and the opportunity to go on a European tour later this autumn. They’ll make stops at the Tomorrow Mobility World Congress in Barcelona, XMobility in Le Mans, and the Ultimate Demo Day in Munich.

From electrifying boats to revolutionising acoustic material

Startups presented a host of innovative solutions, ranging from green graphite for batteries to software for infrastructure planning to commercial-scale production of sustainable aviation fuel. But two startups in particular stood out during the pitch session on Wednesday evening, receiving awards from the jury and the audience.

Zparq (pronounced “spark”) is a startup from Sweden that aims to electrify maritime transport. As co-founder and CEO Jonas Genchel pointed out, “boat motors are among the worst polluters and we cannot rely on fossil fuels any longer. Still, very few boats have been electrified, and one of the reasons for this is the lack of new technology in the marine sector.”

That’s what Zparq brings to the table. The startup has developed an electric boat motor that’s 10 times smaller and lighter than other solutions, offering efficiency, range, zero emissions, and less maintenance. “On top of that, it’s sustainable throughout the whole value chain,” said Genchel. The key is a patented cooling system, which makes the company’s motor scalable and modular. It can be used in a wide range of boats, from leisure vessels to naval drones.

That was enough to convince the jury. Though Zparq was the one that received the most votes from the jury, all 10 are “great startups,” said Claudia Machado, innovation director at Grupo Brisa, who presented the Jury Award. “They have great products, great services, and we believe that they will have a future – that’s why they’re here as the top 10.”

“It means a lot to get the award,” Genchel told Silicon Luxembourg after the ceremony. “It means that someone else thinks that what we’re doing is good, and that’s the most important. The next phase for Zparq is to industrialise our product, and I hope we can conquer the world with electric marine motors. That’s our goal: to accelerate sustainable boating.”

The startup that received the Audience Award is tackling a completely different aspect of mobility: acoustics. Though it may seem like a niche element, acoustics play a key role across mobility, whether that’s in car floor mats or airplane cabins. And when every millimetre counts, it’s crucial to reduce the weight and thickness of these materials. That’s exactly what Lios is working on. The Irish startup has developed SoundBounce, which is thinner and lighter compared to traditional acoustic materials, and also leads to reduced sound transmission.

A vote among audience members determined that this was their favourite solution. “We feel amazing after winning this award,” said Rhona Togher, CEO and co-founder of Lios. “It’s actually been a really big moment for us within the mobility space. We’ve been trying to push for change in acoustics for a very long time, and finally, the industry is moving. It’s really nice to see that they’re actually putting it up there on the stage. For us, the next thing is production: we’re going to have product coming off the line at the end of this year, so we’re very excited to actually be moving product to customers.”

The top 10 startups

Astracite (Belgium): developing high-performance battery materials from CO2 and silicon

Boson Energy (Luxembourg): developing technology to transform waste into sustainable aviation fuel

GoNeon (Switzerland): uses AI agents to automate infrastructure planning

LiGenerate (Israel): provides a chemical refining process that extracts metals from battery waste and mining feedstock

Lios (Ireland): developing an advanced acoustic material that reduces noise and vibrations

Nordic Electrofuel (Norway): developing commercial-scale production of synthetic sustainable aviation fuel

Pulsetrain (Germany): combines battery management, inverters, and charging functions in one unitRingil (Czech Republic): provides modular software for freight logistics, connecting shippers, suppliers, and carriers

XYTE Mobility (Germany): developing a vehicle for commuters seeking the agility of a motorcycle and car-like protection

Zparq (Sweden): developing compact, high-efficiency electric motors for maritime operators

Special prizes

Startups from among the top 50 were also awarded special prizes in 10 categories.

Female entrepreneur: Enaz Nouri (Urbview)

Scaleup: Nordic Electrofuel

Future mobility: Ecoro

Maritime mobility: Oceanflight

Carbon super saver: Ecotrain

River mobility: Dockworx

Rail mobility: Flocklabs

Academic venture: Thermagix

Software champions: Ecoro; Pulsetrain; Manex AIRoad safety: XYTE Mobility

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