The Global Automotive & Mobility Innovation Challenge (GAMIC) selected four innovative start-ups as winners in the 2019 GAMIC Finals, held at the SAE International WCX’19 conference at Detroit’s Cobo Hall.
Twelve (12) Finalists from Israel, Canada, and across the USA – selected and groomed over the past eight months from 60 global applicants – offered a broad array of new technologies to advance the vehicles and transportation systems of the future, pitching in front of judges from GM, FCA, Denso Ventures, Center for Automotive Research, Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Tech and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) mobility program PlanetM.
GAMIC Finals Speakers – To frame the environmental context into which the technologies of the GAMIC Finalists will be introduced, the program began with a keynote presentation by Dr. Ken Washington, Chief Technology Officer of Ford Motor Company and SAE Automotive Sector Vice-President, who outlined the directions in electrification, driving automation communication, and STEM education towards which Ford is moving.
Following the twelve team presentations, a panel of experts from across the mobility ecosystem shared their perspectives on how advances in connected vehicle technologies, electronics and telematics are driving fundamental changes in mobility business models. Panel participants included:
- Steve Surhigh, Vice President of Automotive Cloud Solutions for Harman International
- Ryan Kiley, Executive Director, Consumers Energy
- David Welch, Auto Sector Bureau Chief of Bloomberg LP
- Panel Moderator Chris Brower, Director of Global Automotive Strategy at DuckerFrontier
The panel covered an array of technology trends and opportunities in areas such as distributed renewables, microgrids, distributed battery storage, smart cities, EV smart-charging infrastructure and alternate monetization models.
GAMIC Award Winners – The four GAMIC 2019 Award Winners, notable examples of the types of changes transpiring in the mobility space, are:
Category 1 – Vehicle Electrification, V2X Communication and Advanced Mobility
- Orbitless Drives: Orbitless is a patented, novel low-loss gearbox platform enabling ultra-low noise, super high-efficiency gear-heads ideally suited for electric motor applications. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Category 2 – Advanced Materials, Sensors, Actuators and Manufacturing Processes
- S3D Precision Dispensing: S3D creates specialty print heads and compound ink formulas that enable the manufacturing of flexible, embedded sensors, actuators, and electronics onto contoured and textured surfaces, providing enabling technologies for next-generation electronics. Ann Arbor, MI
Category 3 – Infotainment, Auto Consumer / Value Add and Value Chain / New Business Models
- Bedestrian: Bedestrian is a last-mile delivery company, utilizing a driverless vehicle system consisting of a pilot vehicle and a modular trailer for indoor and outdoor (Urban) delivery. Ann Arbor, MI
Category 4 – New High-Value, Disruptive Technology Innovations
- VectorZero: VectorZero builds interactive road modeling and traffic simulation software. Its main product, RoadRunner, significantly speeds the creation of detailed road networks for simulation and testing. San Diego, CA
PlanetM Best in Michigan Mobility Awards, by GAMIC in conjunction with MEDC/PlanetM, were awarded to two mobility companies located in Michigan or committed to moving here within six months:
- 1st place, for $7,500 – Awarded to S3D Precision Dispensing. Ann Arbor, MI
- 2nd place, for $2,500 – Awarded to GBatteries, a company offering fast charging for Li-Ion batteries while retaining long battery cycle life. Ottawa, Canada
Winners of the GAMIC competition, competing in the above four categories, will receive more than $300k of in-kind commercialization assistance and cash to accelerate their business in the automotive and mobility space. In-kind commercialization prizes include business development, business incubation, financial modeling and investor prep, engineering modeling, legal advisory and targeted executive introductions – as well as exposure to senior members of OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers with decision-making responsibility, budgets, and the need for the types of technologies offered by the GAMIC Award Winners.
Previous GAMIC Winners and Finalists have gone on to greater success, including being acquired or joint ventured, inking major licensing contracts, launching their products faster, and/or obtaining additional development funding due to their enhanced visibility.
Major sponsors for GAMIC 2019 include SAE International, Automation Alley, ESG Automotive, IEE, Market Results, PlanetM and Sterne Kessler.
About GAMIC
The Global Automotive & Mobility Challenge, or GAMIC, is an annual competition for early-stage automotive and mobility companies with new technologies. It was created to: identify innovative companies from around the world; cultivate new technologies and solutions; and hasten their adoption into the automotive and mobility industries. Participants get exposure to over 10,000 mobility experts at the GAMIC Finals during SAE International’s WCX World Congress in April. Winners share more than $300k in commercialization acceleration services and cash, along with facilitated introductions to the industry’s top decision-makers and influencers. GAMIC is an Accredited Partner of STEM.ORG. GAMIC is a sponsored activity of the MI Innovation Alliance, a 501-c-3 corporation. For additional information visit http://www.gamicevent.org. Innovator applications for GAMIC 2020 will open shortly, at http://www.f6s.com/gamic12th.
About SAE International
SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs award-winning programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.