MOVEN is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Sergio Diez, CEO of MOVEN, to learn more about how this Spanish startup is helping cities achieve their sustainable mobility goals thanks to their AI-powered data platform, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
Hi Sergio! Tell us about MOVEN, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We launched MOVEN in 2020 after having spent several years working in different ecosystems focused on innovation for sustainable mobility. During that time, we realised there was an interesting gap in the market for a new technology to access private data in a secure way, paired with AI-based algorithms to better understand what is happening in different cities and how local administrations and companies can use that data to improve local infrastructures.
Our mission is to provide access to data to accelerate the shift towards more sustainable mobility in cities.
What has your entrepreneurship journey been like so far?
I haven’t followed the typical entrepreneurial path. I’ve always worked in the corporate sector and it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I decided to launch my own startup.
I’m an industrial engineer and I’ve always had a big passion for innovation and R&D. I wanted to be involved in the development a piece of technology that would be more focused on people rather than the product itself, so after a long career working with big companies like Renault, IBM and Airbus, I decided it was time to pursue a new venture. That’s what led me to start MOVEN.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
One of the main goals we want to achieve through this program is to finally establish our business model in order to commercialise our data platform. We’re also very interested in accessing other ecosystems, because MOVEN is mainly based in Spain, so we’d like to understand the needs and requirements to enter other markets in Europe. And, of course, we’re looking forward to meeting potential investors and learning what options we have for financing our startup.
What are the key ambitions for MOVEN? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Once we consolidate our business model, which is our top priority right now, we’d like to scale up our platform and see how we can impact other cities in Europe and South America to help them achieve their sustainable mobility plans.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
It’s very important to have a lot of energy and time. You’re going to come across many challenges along the way, so from the start you have to be really confident in what you want to do. Be persistent and persevere until you reach your objective.