Launch pad by the River Elbe

Launch pad by the River Elbe

This is the symbolic entry ticket for him and his colleagues from "Keysurance.de" to Volkswagen's Transparent Factory in Dresden. For six months, the founders of the company will move into an office in the "Future Mobility Incubator". As a member of this scholarship, they can develop their idea about the mobility of the future to market maturity.

Beneficial for both sides
The company's idea is based on linking the customer data of car sharing companies, car hire firms and other mobility providers. They collect, amongst other data, the amount of Kilometers driven. This way, it is expected that young car buyers will be able to obtain less expensive car insurance because they can demonstrate driving experience without having owned a vehicle. Bodensteiner and his colleagues now intend to improve their software with an additional telematics solution.

At the end of their six months in Dresden, the result may be a possible participation by Volkswagen. This is only one of the options for company founders who have been selected for the carmaker's support program. At any rate, they all have the opportunity to contribute their ideas to future Volkswagen vehicles. "We give start-ups access to the product so that they can test their ideas directly in, on or with a car," says Kai Siedlatzek, Managing Director of Volkswagen Sachsen responsible for Finance. The carmaker also benefits from the creativity and vitality of the young entrepreneurs.

Precious contacts
"Volkswagen provides us with our introduction to the world of business," says Thorge Harms. In the summer, the 24-year-old was among the first to join the incubator in Dresden. Since August, he and his colleagues from Smart City Solution have been working on an intelligent parking solution. They have not only developed software but have also made a mobile phone-sized parking sensor. It provides real-time information on whether a parking space is available. Although this may sound simple, it is a revolution in parking space management.

In the near future, the "smart paving stone" will be able to guide the driver direct to a vacant parking space using a mobile phone, avoiding many unnecessary kilometers of driving. The first pilot projects are already up and running. Via Volkswagen, the five young entrepreneurs are meeting professionals from a variety of different departments. This has led to considerable progress with their project.

The image bonus for the company, which was only established at the beginning of the year, is also very important, says Thorge Harms. "The fact that we are working together with Volkswagen acts as a seal of approval," the young engineer has found during contacts with customers.