German Castignani, Motion-SUnderstanding individual mobility patterns and being able to predict risks, vehicle maintenance needs and eco-efficiency is highly useful for a range of players in the mobility sector: fleet managers, insurers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), smart mobility operators, transport providers, and so on. The mobility data analytics platform developed by Motion-S transforms raw location and car data from smartphones, simple trackers, databases and car data platforms into actionable insights in this field. “Our objective is to provide our clients with a complete view of the total mobility costs of their customers,” says CEO and co-founder German Castignani.

Our objective is to provide our clients with a complete view of the total mobility costs of their customers.

The solution by Motion-S attracted the attention of the multinational Group <a>, which manufactures auto parts for both OEMs and the aftermarket in North and South America. “Our platform is the only one on the market that combines all the dimensions needed to objectively assess the total costs of mobility,” Mr Castignani points out. “Developing such a tool requires a top team of skilled data scientists and engineers and many years of research and development. Integrating our platform and analytics into a service layer to customers is well in line with the regional strategy of Group <a>.” The group has now become a new shareholder in Motion-S after a capital increase.

Expanding mobility data offering beyond Europe

Group <a>The match between the two companies was made in 2020 at global tech event CES in Las Vegas, where Motion-S was one of several start-ups presenting their portfolio at the “Luxembourg Village”. “This was the third time we joined the Luxembourg booth at CES,” says Mr Castignani. “It has always been a great experience and a success in terms of leads, but looking back, our participation in the 2020 edition was for sure our most important one as we met Group <a>. This prime automotive manufacturer did not only become a strategic partner and investor, but has also been our client now for over a year.”

The cooperation will strengthen the position of Motion-S in the automotive industry. After focusing initially on insurance telematics, the company has added fleet telematics as a second business vertical in order to provide a premium layer of analytics to fleet management software companies. “The investment will let us continue to refine our profiling models and add more products to our portfolio,” Mr Castignani points out. “We will come with new value propositions for both business verticals and develop our team further. Together with Group <a>, we aim to boost strategic partnerships with leading market players in the insurance, fleet and automotive sectors with a new market perspective, extending beyond Europe.”

Hares Neme, Head of Innovation at Group <a> and newly appointed member of the board of Motion-S, highlights the strategic importance of the cooperation from his company’s point of view. “This partnership will further consolidate our path to service the future of mobility by bringing forth connected products and services that are better aligned to the specific needs of our users and their surroundings.”

Precious R&D support

Motion-S was founded in 2014 as the first spin-off of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) of the University of Luxembourg. “Motion-S is the perfect example that Luxembourg is fertile ground for start-ups fuelling the digital economy with innovative solutions recognised in Europe and beyond,” says Anthony Auert, manager of the Luxembourg AutoMobility Cluster at national innovation agency Luxinnovation.

Motions-S is the perfect example that Luxembourg is fertile ground for start-ups fuelling the digital economy with innovative solutions.

Research and innovation on mobility data analytics is part of the company’s DNA, and Luxinnovation, the Ministry of the Economy, and the National Research Fund are among its key partners. “Some of our activities have been supported via multiple R&D, Process Innovation and Industrial Fellowship projects. It is of great importance that we can count on professional advice regarding funding schemes and opportunities, as R&D activities are clearly an investment in the company’s future.”

Mr Castignani considers Luxembourg as the perfect place to innovate and start a business. “The strong network of institutions and private companies makes it relatively easy to start growing.”

Photo credits: Motion-S and Group <a>
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