The Toyota Mobility Foundation announced the 10 semi-finalists for its Sustainable Cities Challenge in Venice, Italy. Developed in collaboration with the City of Venice, Challenge Works and World Resources Institute, the Challenge sought global innovators to present solutions to increase the use of existing low- and zero-carbon transport modes in Italy’s “City of Water.”

Despite a comprehensive transportation network in Venice, including low- and zero-carbon options such as buses, trains, trams, hybrid water buses and micromobility services, there’s been low public adoption of these services.

As part of the two-stage, three-year $9 million global Challenge, the Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge launched in June 2024, attracting 126 innovator entries from around the world to create solutions that will increase the use of low- and zero-carbon transportation.

The semi-finalists are:

  • Betterpoints Ltd: BetterPoints is a behavior change technology company that encourages eco-friendly behavior while helping organizations achieve net-zero goals. Their solution will create an app, BetterPoints Italia, that rewards citizens with points (that can later be exchanged for vouchers) for switching from cars to more active and sustainable modes of travel.
  • Bikeloop AS: Bikeloop is a cutting-edge green technology mobility company specializing in creating smart, secure and sustainable bicycle parking systems. Their solution will provide a comprehensive system for smart and secure bike parking integrated with value-added services, ensuring a safer and more convenient experience for cyclists in Venice.
  • Factual Consulting SL: Factual is an innovation and strategy consulting firm committed to transforming mobility. They will use their platform, RIDEAL — a digital tool to manage multiple mobility incentive programs and mobility budgets — to encourage Venice to make more sustainable mobility choices.
  • HCE S.R.L.: HCE is a web agency that has been designing and developing cutting-edge projects for international brands and agencies for more than 20 years. Their solution will foster behavioral change, especially in home-to-work commuting, by integrating two approaches: supporting and facilitating sustainable mobility promoters’ initiatives and raising awareness among citizens.
  • Instant System SAS.: Instant System is a leading Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, empowering over 100 cities and regions worldwide. Their MaaS platform integrates an intermodal trip planner with journey recognition, covering public transport, biking and shared mobility. Their solution will provide Venice’s transport users with gamified mobility profiles, nudging behavior change by simplifying access to the city’s diverse mobility options.
  • ioki GmbH: ioki, the leading European technology company for digital mobility, offers data-based transport planning and innovative platform solutions. In Venice, ioki will create detailed microscopic simulations of daily movements and transport modes to identify key trip destinations that will inform the design of their intermodal solution for the city.
  • Kooling Technologies Ltd: Kooling is a London-based, deep technology company focusing on addressing urban mobility challenges. To understand and influence Venice’s mobility trends, their solution, Every Street, combines insights from sensing technology and big data on individual mobility choices.
  • My House Geek Pty Ltd (Bike Party): Bike Party is a social media application that allows people to organize group bicycle rides and provides cities a means of receiving feedback and data on active transport infrastructure in their jurisdiction. The company’s solution brings the application to Venice.
  • Nudgd: Nudgd is a Swedish startup dedicated to driving sustainable behavior change through innovative digital nudging solutions. Their solution, the Smart Nudges Platform, integrates behavioral science with digital tools to encourage sustainable mobility habits. Through personalized, timely nudges embedded in apps, websites and digital signage, it motivates individuals to choose low-carbon transport modes.
  • UrbanTide: UrbanTide helps organizations unlock the value of their data to support scalable solutions for sustainable transport and behavior change. Their solution, uMove_Venice, integrates city infrastructure and mobility data with an in-depth understanding of residents' motivations and usage.

The Challenge evaluated entries based on their potential to change citizen behavior by increasing use of active mobility, public transport and shared mobility. Semi-finalists will each receive a $50,000 implementation grant to help teams refine and localize their solutions to drive the use and adoption of existing low and zero-carbon transport modes in Venice.

“With 10 talented semi-finalists now selected, we look forward to working together with global innovators to encourage sustainable transport options for the people of Venice. The solutions that emerge from this Challenge can serve as a blueprint for other cities as well, inspiring a global shift toward low- and zero-carbon mobility,” said Monica Perez Lobo, director at Toyota Mobility Foundation Europe.

Challenge Works Director of Cities and Societies Kathy Nothstine said: “Announcing the 10 semi-finalists for Venice’s Sustainable Cities Challenge is a significant milestone. Sustainable transport solutions are about more than technology — they’re about understanding and meeting the needs of residents who benefit from these systems. This Challenge gives innovators the chance to test their ideas in a real-world context, exploring what truly impacts how people engage with transport in cities.”

“With the selection of these 10 semi-finalists, it’s exciting to see how innovators from around the world will respond to the Challenge and develop solutions to make Venice a more sustainable city,” said Ben Welle, director of Integrated Transport and Innovation at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The resulting innovations will directly benefit the people of Venice, and we hope these solutions can be applied to other cities worldwide, improving urban mobility on a broader scale.”

For more, visit the Sustainable Cities Challenge website.