·  Maruti Suzuki selects 9 startups 6 from India and 3 from Germany in its 9th accelerator cohort.

·  First global edition, featuring innovations in AI, EV infrastructure, cybersecurity, and mobility tech.

·  All winners to begin PoC with Maruti Suzuki, testing real-world applications of their solutions.

Maruti Suzuki India has revealed the winners of the 9th batch of its flagship Maruti Suzuki Accelerator Program, with six Indian and three German startups winning. It is for the first time that the program has opened up globally.

The chosen Indian startups are Frinks AI, mistEO, Adagrad, Com Olho, ProSolvr, and Eligere, and the German winners are Caire AI, Syn2Core, and Talonic. The nine startups will now collaborate closely with Maruti Suzuki teams on proof-of-concept (PoC) projects to pilot and validate their innovative solutions in live environments.

Speaking on the development, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, stated:

"Startups introduce new ideas and innovative thinking. With the Maruti Suzuki Accelerator program, we co-develop future-fit solutions that enable better customer experience and operational efficiency in mobility and manufacturing."

He further stated that embracing global startups is a major milestone in the company's innovation journey and its commitment towards the 'Make in India' and 'Startup India' initiatives.

We are looking forward to working together with these innovative ventures to facilitate spreading the 'Joy of Mobility' to as many as possible," he said.

The 9th cohort saw participation from 26 startups-19 from India and 7 from Germany-who presented their cutting-edge solutions at the grand finale. The innovations spanned critical areas such as AI-driven cybersecurity, road safety, quality control, EV charging, battery swapping, and more, all aligned with Maruti Suzuki’s goal of improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Maruti Suzuki’s Innovation Ecosystem

Maruti Suzuki has developed a strong innovation ecosystem across various programs supporting startups at different stages of development. In the last six years, the company has:

• Screened more than 5,000 startups
• Worked with 150 startups
• Onboarded 25 as full-time innovation partners

The Maruti Suzuki Accelerator launched in January 2019 promotes open innovation by collaborating with mobility and automobile manufacturing startups. The Incubation Program was launched in August 2020 to foster tech-enabled startups defining the future of mobility.

This was preceded by the Mobility Challenge in June 2021, targeting growth-stage startups with cutting-edge mobility tech solutions. Most recently, Maruti rolled out Nurture in 2023, a pre-incubation program for early-stage ventures.

Through these stacked programs, Maruti Suzuki further establishes itself as a facilitator of innovation and a crucial driver of India's burgeoning startup ecosystem.