Together For Safer Roads Announces Third Annual Global Entrepreneur Program Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank, Dreampact Ventures and Rio Ventures
Private Sector Coalition Accelerates Startups Committed to Advancing Road Safety
BROOKLYN, NY – August 20, 2019 – Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a coalition of leading private sector companies driven to save lives, today announced the opening of applications for its third annual Global Entrepreneur Program (GEP), along with GEP Innovation Partners, Silicon Valley Bank, Dreampact Ventures and Rio Ventures. The GEP connects early stage companies with road safety experts at multinational companies and universities to reimagine solutions that reduce crashes and fatalities on the world’s roads.
Working with TSR, its members and strategic partners for twelve months, up to five companies will be chosen for the cohort and granted membership status in the global road safety coalition, comprised of organizations such as AB InBev, AIG, AT&T, CalAmp, Republic Services and many other innovative members. Member companies will provide both Innovation Impact Board members who make final selections on the GEP Pitch Day, as well as mentorship and networking throughout the accelerator program. The 2020 Program is focused on addressing problems and building solutions in three core areas:
Intelligent Transportation Services
Commercial Transportation Safety
People-First Transportation Solutions
“It’s rewarding to bring together leading companies and startups both dedicated to creating and delivering solutions to make our world’s roads safer,” said David Braunstein, President, TSR. “We’re proud to provide new access to knowhow, use cases, customers and pilot projects for the chosen startups. They will tap into TSR’s impressive membership network, experts and renowned partners to improve product-market fit and accelerate time-to-market. We want to see these promising technologies deployed effectively and are happy to create a proving ground to help make that happen.”
“TSR’s Global Entrepreneur Program has played an important role in bringing new road safety technologies to market over the years and enabling startup players to tackle core problems faster,” said Pablo Gonzalez, Co-Founder & Principal at Dreampact Ventures. “As a new member of the Coalition this year, we wanted to get deeply involved in advancing the organization’s mission to save lives. Sponsoring the GEP to find innovative startups also advancing road safety was a natural fit for what we do, and we’re looking forward to finding this year’s cohort. We are excited to mentor these companies to help advance the cohort’s strategy, execute on their vision, and ultimately deliver on big dreams.”
“Silicon Valley Bank’s mission is to help innovators, enterprises and investors be successful,” said Cody Nenadal, Director in the Frontier Tech practice at Silicon Valley Bank. “We’re proud to be a part of TSR’s GEP in supporting the growth of companies that are building innovative solutions for making transportation safer and more efficient.”
“We at Rio Ventures are passionate about building a safer world and backing the outstanding entrepreneurs who are dedicated to that same mission,” said Rio Ventures Co-Founder & Principal Gustavo Pimenta. “As new Coalition members, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to have such a direct impact through TSR’s Global Entrepreneurship Program.”
2019’s TSR GEP cohort 2 consisted of Brisk Synergies, Idelic and Peloton. Startups interested in the 2020 program can read details and apply online until September 30 at www.f6s.com/togetherforsaferroads/apply. A GEP Pitch Night event is slated for early December, where the cohort will be announced. Keep up with the TSR GEP announcements and additional information on Twitter at @TSRCoalition or the TSR website.
ABOUT TOGETHER FOR SAFER ROADS
Together for Safer Roads is a global NGO that works with government, businesses and community stakeholders on local projects, fleet safety management and technology initiatives to prevent traffic crashes, injuries and deaths. TSR was started in conjunction with the UN’s Decade of Road safety and has partners around the world. TSR’s members include AB InBev, AIG, AT&T, CalAmp, Republic Services, Lyft, Ericsson, GM, iHeartMedia, Octo Telematics, Geotab, PepsiCo, UPS, Walmart, and others. Learn more at www.togetherforsaferroads.org.
ABOUT DREAMPACT
Dreampact Ventures is a partnership founded by senior executives with experience around the world and across the c-suite. Dreampact exists to work hand-in-hand with outstanding entrepreneurs to achieve impactful dreams and create a better future in the process.
Dreampact invests in early-stage companies who are pursuing unstoppable trends in areas such as Smart Cities/Roads, FinTech, EdTech, Entertainment, and Longevity & Wellness. Learn more at www.dreampact.com
ABOUT RIO VENTURES
RIO Ventures Holdings is a private venture partnership established by two experienced corporate businessmen who leverage their expertise to actively partner with entrepreneurs that have grand ambitions to transform the world.
RIO invests in Israeli-based startups focused on selected “unstoppable trends” that will shape our world, such as Smart Cities/Roads, consumer driven personal mobility, Longevity & Wellbeing, and Sustainability. For more information, visit www.rio-ventures.com
ABOUT SILICON VALLEY BANK
For more than 35 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com.