Your Opportunity to Change the Industry With Us.
Join our journey to redefine mobility.
Let’s forge a partnership that drives your startup towards global recognition while contributing to a greener and more connected world.
Embrace the power of collaboration with Toyota, and together, we’ll create a brighter, more innovative future.
This is your opportunity to make history with us.
How it Works
Toyota Open Labs is designed to efficiently connect innovative startups with the right resources and experts within the Toyota ecosystem. Our goal is to accelerate the development and implementation of breakthrough solutions to drive the future of mobility and contribute positively to society.
Gathering Needs
The program begins by gathering innovation needs from across Toyota’s many divisions, from research to manufacturing to sales and beyond. These challenges span our five focus areas of energy, carbon neutrality, circular economy, smart communities, and mobility for all.
Call for Startups
With clear business needs defined, we open a call for startups to apply, searching for cutting-edge technologies and business models that could help meet those challenges. Our team carefully reviews each application to select the most promising candidates.
Selection and Matching
Selected startups are then quickly matched with the relevant Toyota business units and experts to further explore the potential for collaboration. We believe that fast, effective matchmaking is critical to successful startup-corporate engagement.
Proof of Concept Development
Once a strong mutual interest is established, Toyota Open Labs facilitates opportunities to develop Proof of Concepts (POCs), pilot projects, and commercial agreements. A key benefit for startups is the potential to scale their solution across multiple areas of Toyota’s global organization for maximum impact and business growth.
Ongoing Mentoring and Support
Throughout the process, startups receive support and mentoring from Toyota experts in areas like engineering, product development, manufacturing, supply chain and business planning. Promising collaborations are showcased at internal and external demo day events to facilitate further connections and investment opportunities.
Timeline
October 2024
December 2024
February 2025
March 2025
September 2025
Call for Startups
Admissions
Selected Start-Ups Informed
PoC’s Start
Demo Day 2025
Timeline
October 2024
Call for Startups
December 2024
Admissions
February 2025
Selected Start-Ups Informed
March 2025
PoC’s Start
September 2025
Demo Day 2025
Collaboration Models
Toyota Open Labs offers several ways to engage with startups depending on the business need and technology fit. Potential collaboration models include:
Co-development
Toyota and the startup work together to advance and customize a solution, with Toyota providing resources like facilities, expertise and equipment.
Proof of Concept
Toyota and the startup test and validate a solution at an accelerated pace in a real-world environment to assess viability and value.
Pilot Projects
Focused implementations to further prove out a solution and identify improvements before a full rollout.
Commercial Agreements
Startups become a vendor to Toyota, integrating their solution into the company’s products, processes or services.
Strategic Partnership
Long-term collaboration agreement which may include joint development, licensing of IP, and go-to-market support from Toyota.
Investment
Potential funding from Toyota’s Woven Capital venture arm for startups with strategic fit and compelling financial prospects.
Interested in Participating?
Review our Frequently Asked Questions and complete our online form for your chance to join our next cohort of innovative startups.
FAQs
Toyota Open Labs is an open innovation platform that unites startups with business units across Toyota ecosystem, to scale innovation and lead the market into the next phase of mobility. The programme will power Toyota’s transformation to a mobility company by deepening its expertise across energy, hydrogen ecosystem, the circular economy, carbon-neutral technologies, smart communities and mobility-for-all initiatives. Supporting business units include Toyota Motors Europe, Toyota Tsusho Europe, KINTO Europe, Woven Capital and Toyota Mobility Foundation.
We look forward to receiving proposals from ambitious innovators who meet the the following requirements:
- Your company must be legally established, or will be legally established before the start of the Programme.
- You can commit at least one full-time member of your team to the programme, ensuring the necessary managerial and technical skills.
- Your company is present or has plans to be in the market of any of the 27 European Member states, the Horizon 2020 Associated Countries and United Kingdom.
- Participants from your team have high-level English language skills, as the programme will take place in English.
- Your startup is aligned with Toyota’s values and adheres to EU legal regulations (e.g. GDPR etc.).
Toyota Open Labs seeks innovative startups that support these goals across six key categories:
- Energy: Technologies and systems to facilitate the energy transition, hydrogen economy, grid balancing, energy management, smart charging, and vehicle-to-grid energy transfers.
- Hydrogen Ecosystem: Solutions supporting the development and expansion of a hydrogen economy.
- Circular Economy: Technologies and systems to enable the recovery, recycling, and reuse of vehicles and batteries.
- Carbon Neutrality: Technologies and systems helping companies and society reduce carbon emissions, along with digitalisation to enable transparent life cycle assessments.
- Smart Communities: New business models and solutions to develop and support smart communities through vehicle sharing, subscriptions, and mobility hubs.
- Mobility for All: Fair-value solutions to overcome mobility barriers, strengthen mobility systems, and mobilise low-carbon communities, addressing the needs of an ageing society and devising universal designs for all users.
Toyota’s participating business units (Toyota Motors Europe, Toyota Tsusho Europe, KINTO Europe, Woven Capital, and Toyota Mobility Foundation) will collaborate with participating startups and provide strategic counsel throughout the program, with exposure to insights from the world’s largest automaker and leaders from global markets. Each participant will receive development funding, as well as the opportunity to showcase its technology at the Demo Day in September/October 2025
Applications for this cohort will run until the 5th of January, selected companies will be informed in February 2025, and we plan the Demo Day in September/October 2025.
