Valeo Innovation Challenge: just 30 days left to embark on the adventure to create your own start-up and revolutionize the car of the future

Paris, March 1, 2018 – The fifth annual Valeo Innovation Challenge, Valeo’s global innovation contest, is providing students from around the world the opportunity to create their own start-up and develop their innovative idea. Registration is open until noon (Paris time) on March 30.

Are you a bright student eager to write a new chapter in the history of the automobile and mobility? If so, the Valeo Innovation Challenge is for you! Form a team of two to five people (inclusion of a teacher or professor is possible) and see how your talents measure up against students worldwide by presenting an innovation that addresses one of the three revolutions currently disrupting the automotive industry: vehicle electrification, the autonomous car and digital mobility.

Around 650 teams hailing from 72 countries and over 350 universities and other higher education institutions have already decided to embark on the adventure in the contest’s fifth year.

During the first phase, students will be invited to put together their innovation project and start-up business model. Experts in entrepreneurship from around the world and Valeo will then select nine finalist teams, who will receive the support of professionals – knowledgeable about the automotive industry, technical content, business models, etc. – to quickly take their project to the next level and finalize their pitch. During the finals, which will be held in Paris in autumn 2018, the nine short-listed teams will have five minutes to win over the jury with a presentation including a video, a prototype, an experiment or other supporting material.

The jury, made up of technology and business leaders as well as Valeo executives, will ultimately select three winning teams to split a prize of 200,000 euros (with one grand prize winner and two runners-up) to help them develop their business. The three young start-ups, in which Valeo will hold a 5% stake, will also benefit from the hands-on support of Valeo experts.

Nearly 5,000 students worldwide, forming more than 1,600 teams from 80 countries and more than 700 universities and other higher education institutions, participated in last year’s Valeo Innovation Challenge.