There is a huge range of startups working on products and services to make our cities more energy efficient. These include Solarcity, a leading provider of solar energy systems that deliver reliable, clean energy to homes and businesses; Bidgely, developers of an energy monitoring and management solution; and SoloPower, a producer of thin-film photovoltaic cells and modules that help solar electricity generation. The company has raised nearly $500 million in venture capital.
The way we get around urban areas is undergoing a fundamental transformation thanks to big data, artificial intelligence and robotics. Companies in this sector include Voyage, a self-driving car maker targeting retirement communities, Autonomic, a vehicle connectivity platform and Barnacle, a sharing-economy community that matches drivers with people who need to send or receive shipments.
Advances in the waste management space include chemical processes used by Biocellection to upcycle plastic into new value. Other companies operating in this niche include Ventana Ecogreen, while Integrated Resource Recovery turns end-of-life tires into performance materials. Ternion Bio Industries is using proprietary technology to capture greenhouse gas emissions and turn them into useful, algae-based products using solar power.
The way our cities are conceived and built is seeing digital innovation from companies such as RoomReveal, a social platform for design professionals, Pocketdoor, a construction project management platform, and Katerra, a technology company digitizing building development, design and construction.
What are smart cities? Why are so many startups active in this sector now and what are the forces driving their expansion? These are the questions we answer on day 1 of our immersion program on The Future of Smart Cities. We explain how early-stage companies have capitalized on economic, demographic and technological trends to reimagine urban spaces for the 21st century. We see these dynamics in practice with visits to companies such as: Houzz, an online platform for architecture and design, Chargepoint, an open electric vehicle charging network and Aurora,  a self-driving vehicle manufacturer. Other possible participating companies: Lunera, Sunpreme, Airxsys, Compology, Replate
The journey continues on day two with an exploration of the limits of the smart cities space as they exist today. How many areas of urban life are being disrupted? What is the nature of this change and how fast is it moving? We answer these questions through visits to startups operating in a wide range of niches. Possible visits include Katerra, a startup seeking to digitize building construction and design, Optiyol, a provider of solutions for transport planning, and Savari, where teams build  advanced wireless sensor hardware and software technologies for autonomous cars and smart city infrastructure. Other possible participating companies: Biocellection, Baswood, Carmanation, Cobalt Technologies, Lime, Venima
Day three of the immersion program is dedicated to the technologies fueling the smart cities revolution. We hear from experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, mobile platforms and internet of things  to learn what these technologies can currently do and what they will offer in the future. We visit companies such as Auro Robotics, TopHatch, and Pony where they show us how they use emerging technologies to create competitive advantages and provide innovative, market-disrupting products and services.  Other possible participating companies: Davra, Trolysis, Solpro, Epic CleanTec, Recology
Having seen and heard on days 1 to 3 how digital technologies are creating the city of the future, on day 4 of our immersion program we challenge attendees to turn words into action. Participatory workshops with leading Silicon Valley experts on design thinking, design sprints, venture capital and open innovation provide executives with the blueprints and frameworks they need to deliver innovation within their own organization. We survey Silicon Valley’s major tech firms to understand how they will make a play for the future of the city thanks to the huge amount of data they hold on consumers. We visit companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft to illustrate these trends and learn how other large enterprises can follow their models of continuous innovation. Other possible participating companies: Uber, Tesla, IBM, Waze, Waymo
What’s next for the connected city? Day 5 brings the program to a close with its sights firmly set on the future. We learn about trends still in their infancy and meet the companies seeking to capitalize on those trends. Possible visits include Nuleaftech, a pioneer in water recycling; Aptonomy, builders of AI-powered drone security; and Moovit, a mobility-as-a-service provider. Will city dwellers eventually have no need to own cars because autonomous vehicles have become ubiquitous and reliable? Will our homes be powered exclusively by clean energy? We discuss these and other pressing questions in the field of smart cities and find out which areas of our lives will be reimagined next thanks to emerging technologies. Other possible participating companies: Skip Scooters, Remix, Anagy, Armageddon Energy, Purfresh, Peloton
Inspiration
Meet the Silicon Valley innovators passionate about using the latest technologies to create new value. Learn the frameworks and methodologies of the experts and embrace innovation with confidence.
Long-term value
Apply newly learned innovation skills to your own company to ensure its survival and prosperity in times of technological disruption.
Connections
Turn motivation and knowledge into concrete actions with the business development opportunities that make an established business a world-class innovator. Â Â
Technology insights
See the disruptive power of the latest technologies and learn how they are being applied to solve humanity’s greatest challenges.
Education
Gain insight into the digital disruption of consumer packaged goods and see how startups are applying emerging technologies to redesign how, where and what we buy.
New perspectives
Challenge your thinking on what it means to run an enterprise in the 21st century. Make innovation part of your personal mission and commit to the future of your business.
Provider of solar energy systems that deliver reliable clean energy to homes and businesses.
Autonomic serves as a vehicle connectivity platform.
Tesla Motors accelerates the transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars.
Upcycling plastic pollution into value using chemistry and synthetic biology.
Highly energetic and innovative startup working on something that has never been done before.
Community that matches drivers with people who need to send or receive shipments.
Social platform for design professionals to share their portfolio and promote their businesses.
Producer of thin-film photovoltaic cells and modules that help solar electricity generation.
World leader and innovator of tissue-based diagnostic solutions for patients worldwide.
Armageddon Energy is a cleantech startup changing the world by putting an affordable, attractive solar energy system on every roof.
Technology company optimizing every aspect of building development, design, and construction.
Waymo improves transportation for people around the world, building on software and sensor technology developed in Google’s labs.
Home improvement organized. Make sure the right person selects the right item at the right time.
Anagy is a unique electric motor technology that provides for direct thrust motion.
IRR mission is to be the leading provider of high-value, performance materials produced from recyclable resources.
Savari builds advanced wireless sensor hardware and software technologies for automotive manufacturers, the aftermarket and smart cities.
Consumer Cleantech company whose products charge wherever there is light, providing ease and convenience for consumers.
Epic CleanTec is redefining sanitation by decentralizing wastewater treatment and converting organic solids into high quality soil products.
Eco Green Auto Clean manufactures and distributes auto cleaning technologies to its clients.
Ternion's patent-pending technology captures greenhouse gas emissions and recycles these emissions using solar energy into useful algae-based products.
Online platform for home remodeling, architecture, interior design, decorating, landscaping, and home improvement.
ChargePoint brings electric vehicle (EV) charging to more people and places than ever before as the world’s leading EV charging network.
Aurora Solar develops solar industry software.
IoT infrastructure company that provides an ambient compute platform to connect billions of devices to the cloud.
Google is a multinational corporation that is specialized in internet-related services and products.
Skateboarding shop and clothing brand established in New York City in April 1994.
Smart parking monitoring and management system which is easy to install and at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions
Compology provides container monitoring software for waste haulers to streamline operations, enhance customer service and simplify analysis.
Replate provides tech and logistics to match surplus food from businesses with communities in need to reduce food waste and end hunger.
Katerra is a Silicon Valley startup that is redefining the multi-trillion dollar construction industry.
Optiyol provides optimization solutions for transportation planning decisions at strategic, tactical and operational levels
CARMAnation is an online community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book privately owned parking spaces.
CARMAnation is an online community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book privately owned parking spaces.
Cobalt, a business unit of ADP Dealer Services, provides digital marketing solutions to majority US automotive dealers and manufacturers.
Lime helps people move around their cities in an affordable and convenient way while eliminating their carbon footprint.
Auro Robotics is the Self-Driving Shuttle for travel within university campuses, corporate parks, and residential communities.
TopHatch is a next-generation tools for creative people.
Pony develops artificial intelligence solutions in the field of robotics.
Davras' IoT Platform provides organizations with a flexible, secure and integrated platform to fully leverage current and future IoT deployments.
Powering the Future - Turn Aluminum and Water into Hydrogen and Electricity
Resource recovery, recycling, compost, landfill diversion, anaerobic digestion.
Amazon is an e-commerce retailer formed originally to provide consumers with products in two segments.
Apple is a multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and markets consumer electronics, personal computers, and software.
World's leading semiconductor and display company.
Microsoft is a software corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services.
Uber develops, markets, and operates a ride-sharing mobile application that allows consumers to submit a trip request.
IBM is an IT technology and consulting firm providing computer hardware, software, and infrastructure and hosting services.
MAZE a group of millennials focused on finding purpose in their lives.
Lyft designs, markets, and operates a mobile application that matches drivers with passengers who request rides.
Bio-inspired water recycling solutions made easy - and beautiful - for a healthier world.
Aptonomy provides AI-powered drone security services for yard management.
Moovit is leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) provider and #1 public transit app.
Remix is a platform for planning public transit, designing streets, and managing new mobility.
Purfresh is a provider of clean technologies that purify, protect and preserve food and water.
Delivering on the promise of self-driving cars today.
