Showing start-ups how to shout out their message to the Fleet industry

“This is about the companies shaking up the Fleet industry”, said Vincent Degives, Marketing Director at Nexus Communication, setting the stage for the very first Start-Up Lab at the Fleet Europe Summit in Estoril. The Lab gave those start-ups useful pointers on how to connect with the industry, find money and grow – without losing their soul or burning their wings. 

The Fleet industry is dominated by large, multinational companies. Those companies are trying to keep up with the accelerating pace of innovation that is disrupting the automotive industry. 

A bit slow

“But large companies are often burdened by complex decision-making structures, and therefore a bit slow. That's why they're looking for start-ups like you to solve their innovation needs”, said Caroline Thonnon (pictured), CEO of Nexus Communication. 

That was music to the ears of the select gathering of start-ups, who offer the other side of the equation: innovative projects looking for the best, fastest way to grow their great ideas into market-changing products and services. Mrs. Thonnon gave an overview of the state of the European Fleet and Mobility industry; of the trends that impact the industry, and of how innovation is transforming the industry.

Segment per segment

She sketched the pathway to fleet maturity, the Big Six European countries in terms of fleet sales, the trends driving change in Europe (green taxation and urban access regulations among them) and the implications all these factors have on how start-ups should approach the industry. 

Especially appreciated by the audience was an segment-per-segment overview of the main players, from international fleet managers over manufacturers, leasing companies, providers of connected services and telematics, fuel and tyre suppliers, consulting and data services specialists, remarketers and car-sharing companies. 

1,700 start-ups

“There are many  companies here at the Fleet Europe Village who are potentially interested in you, and interesting for you. But in May this year, a report by Frost & Sullivan identified more than 1,700 disruptive start-ups in the automotive ecosystem.  So you are not alone. To make yourself heard, you have to shout out your message!”

Learning at the Start-Up Lab is just one way in which the Fleet Europe Summit can help young start-ups get their message across. “Did you know that MobilEye, which was recently acquired by Intel for $15 billion, won the Fleet Europe Innovation Award in 2011 and 2013? And that WeProov, who will also present a segment here today and who secured €1 million via fundraising earlier this year won the first Smart Mobility Start-Up Award at the Fleet Europe Summit last year?”