France-based, Ever Dye turns vegetable-waste into color pigments for the textile industry (without using petrochemicals). The startups core tech is based on a novel dyeing approach. <Quick primer: traditional dyeing is an energy-intensive two step process: the 1st, which aims to whiten/ bleach the fabrics, requires heating them at 90 degrees for an hour. The 2nd, which aims to affix the color (pigments), requires heating the textiles at 130 degrees for 3-6 hours (usually in autoclaves)>. Ever Dye can bleach fabrics at 50 degrees (effectively “pre-treating” them for dyes to adhere more easily) & affix color at room temperature; the combined process takes 30 minutes/ 8x times faster and reduces energy consumption 15x. “As we’re...

Germany-based, Kopernikus Automotive (Kopernikus) is developing an “Automated Valet Parking” (AVT Type 2) (through “infrastructure orchestrated maneuvering technologies”) for logistics centers & car parks (i.e. “no one’s behind the wheel”). In a nutshell, the startup installs fixed sensors on location & AI (perception & path planning performed externally) to safely steer (driving commands sent wirelessly in real-time by a computer or agent) the vehicle to the parking space. The startup has already piloted (& recently converted to a contract) its solution with Volkswagen (in partnership with the latter’s Cariad software group) at their Wolfsburg plant, as well as two pilot projects across two Ford car plants in Europe. Moreover, client & investor Continental has started...