Promoting the digital and ecological transition of mobility by encouraging the development and growth of young companies focused on advanced technologies: this is the mission of the MOST Mobility Challenge 2025, the funding, business acceleration, and Open Innovation program dedicated to innovative startups in the sustainable mobility sector.
Promoted by the National Center for Sustainable Mobility—an ecosystem that brings together 24 universities, the CNR, and 24 large companies—in collaboration with Zest, a leader in Italy in early-stage venture capital investments, startup acceleration, and Open Innovation, the initiative aims to enhance entrepreneurial ideas capable of responding effectively and originally to the sector’s new challenges, optimizing processes, reducing environmental impact, and improving the overall efficiency of transportation systems.
The MOST Mobility Challenge 2025, which will select 15 winning startups, aims to support the development and consolidation of innovative businesses offering new products, services, processes, and business models in the specific areas of intervention of the National Center for Sustainable Mobility.
Startups that meet the eligibility criteria can apply directly online at www.mostmobilitychallenge.it until May 19.
The National Center for Sustainable Mobility MOST, in collaboration with Zest, launches the MOST Mobility Challenge 2025, the second edition of the initiative to select high-potential innovative startups aimed at transforming the mobility sector with a sustainable approach.
Based on the applications received, 50 "semi-finalists" will be selected and will have the opportunity to present themselves remotely to the jury from June 3 to June 5. The jury will then determine the 30 finalists who will participate in the award ceremony on June 25.
The 15 winners will access the Most Prize: a non-repayable grant of up to 200,000 euros each, with a total available allocation of 3 million euros, along with access to an intensive three-month acceleration program led by Zest.
During this program, the selected startups will also have the opportunity to connect with a qualified network of companies, institutions, and investors within the MOST and Zest network, benefiting from significant technological and commercial development opportunities through Open Innovation.
At the end of the acceleration program, an Investor Day will be held, where the winning startups can present their achievements and technological solutions to an exclusive audience of investors.
15 startups will have the chance to win the Most Prize: a non-repayable grant worth up to 200,000 euros and a business and technological innovation acceleration program led by Zest.
“MOST Mobility Challenge is an initiative in which we place great trust, as it represents not only an opportunity to showcase the ideas and skills of new generations but also a concrete tool to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable, efficient, and integrated mobility model,” said Ferruccio Resta, President of MOST. “We have doubled the total funding compared to last year, increasing it to 200,000 euros, reaffirming our commitment to solutions that can have a real impact on the country’s future. We believe that innovation arises from the intersection of vision, courage, and responsibility: this is the ground on which change is built. And it is young people, with their energy and ability to challenge the status quo, who play a decisive role in this process."
“The MOST Mobility Challenge is a significant opportunity for Italian startups in the sector, granting access to financial resources and a qualified network of industrial partners and research excellence. For Zest, collaboration with MOST represents a concrete example of a partnership for innovation in a strategic sector like mobility, where the industrial application of startup technologies can drive entrepreneurial development in our country in an innovative and sustainable way,” said Marco Gay, Executive President of Zest.