What’s Startup Autobahn?

Startup Autobahn is a collaboration and innovation platform for DXC Technology, startups, partners and our customers. DXC uses this platform to identify potential innovations and discover avant-garde technologies. The initiative enables DXC Technology to develop rapid prototypes and technical innovations, build strong relationships and find solutions to accelerate transformation. Below, you can learn more about why Startup Autobahn is different from other startup accelerators or corporate venturing activities.

DXC’s Engagement in Startup Autobahn

DXC Technology is a proud member of the program called “Startup Autobahn.”

Startup Autobahn is the ultimate innovation platform consisting of a broad ecosystem of corporate partners, investors, research institutes and startups. At the beginning of 2016 Plug 'n' Play, a startup accelerator in the US established Startup Autobahn together with Daimler, Arena 2036 (research environment) and the University of Stuttgart. The goal is to establish a "German Silicon Valley" and bring innovations and entrepreneurial thinking to the south of Germany.

In the first year, the platform grew with leading companies such as DXC Technology and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Porsche, BASF, ZF and DHL – and is still growing. Startup Autobahn offers several support services, like mentoring, networking, funding and office space for a cohort of startups during a 100-day program.

The aim of the companies and startups is to build prototypes within a period of 100 days. During each “Program” DXC produces prototypes together with different startups. The results are really impressive!

In general, the overall goal is to realize collaborative projects between the startups and the established companies which you can read about below.

DXC targets two major areas with this program: First, we help startups scale and integrate their technology into end-to-end projects with our customers in order to successfully market the startups solutions. Second, we create and develop new and innovative solutions to help our customers with innovate business models for digital transformation. The startups' agility and our ability to execute customers projects through these relationships are the new engine of success in the digital world. Startup Autobahn provides the ideal platform to get in contact with promising startups, new technology and other partners.

Here are some of our Startups

Robotics Process Automation - WorkFusion

DXC uses various RPA tools to optimize applications and build hybrid organization models with humans and software-based robots. One example is the Workfusion solution which automates manual workflows and improves them through the built-in AI engine.

Over time, corporate processes expand and increase in complexity due to changing system landscapes, growing requirements and undefined responsibilities. This leads to high costs, long response times, non-transparency and discrepancy between the target state and the status quo of a process. Based on process mining we identify areas to change and optimize process flows (process reengineering), to adopt applications (e.g. Apps Modernization) or to reassign work from people to robots (RPA).

Managing assets for logistics efficiency enhancement - Evertracker

Evertracker has developed a solution that enables supply chains and logistic processes to be controlled, managed and predicted. Together with DXC, their AI solution provides quality management and asset management enabling transparency and efficiency enhancement.

Robotic Data for Predictive Maintenance - Streamr

DXC Technology and Streamr demonstrate how movement data from a connected factory robot is captured, analyzed, stored and marketed on the platform. Streamr's open source data platform allows data streams to be uploaded and analyzed or monetized through the market place. Tokenizing the streaming data allows it to be marketed on the decentralized peer-2-peer network supported by smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Streamr provides a complete system to create unstoppable real-time data apps, even without writing code.

Robot manufacturers can now access and purchase smart factory data for better detailed usage insights. Based on this the robot manufacturer can perform data analytics in order to improve the product and send updates to the robots in the field.

Digital Scent Management - AromaBit

DXC and AromaBit have build a wine bar using AromaBit‘s technology to digitally compare the selected wine flavors. Each flavor was digitalized using the AromaBit sensor system and given a barcode which includes odor information of the analyzed product. 

Smartphone Sensor Analytics - Context360

Consumers can track food items purchased and consumed. The DXC app tracks every item in the refrigerator or pantry and any package thrown away using RFID technology. Food purchase, based on what was consumed, occurs using a subscription model. Sensor analysis technology from Context360 provides new customer insights and customer specific recommendations.

This technology better connects companies with their customers by enabling them to gain deeper insights and predictions into user patterns and interests using different data sources. It also allows consumer goods manufacturers to deliver a new customer experience, allowing them to analyze and predict the consumption of goods.

Omnilocation and Shoof @Airbus

Ease-of-control and transparency into logistics chains is the aim of our PoC with Shoof and Airbus. Our real-time, visual, geospatial track, trace and trend solution Omnilocation uses Shoof’s low-infrastructure, high-range tracking technology as a data source. This is an end-to-end solution for logistics and operations – and even tracks airplane parts at Airbus’ research center.

Operations and logistics suffer from an immense controlling effort. Different events from different sources can impact logistics chains negatively at any point. These include man-made events, such as a request for additional resources ahead of schedule, or events caused by nature such as a storm that impairs your driver’s speed.

Car2X Platform – MemoBase

Refueling the car takes a long time especially due to the payment process. This leads to long lines in front of the cash register and gas pumps. With the Car2X solution it is possible to refuel the car and pay automatically by a three-factor authentication.

Smart City Platform GridServ - what3words

what3words divides the world in 3 by 3 meter squares giving each square a unique name consisting of 3 words. The GridServ Platform is built on top of what3words to generate location based services for smarter cities. The first implemented use case is a management service for drone routes.

Flexible value chain automation (FlexChain) - Kreatize

With the FlexChain project we show how open innovation enhances the supply chain, cuts costs and reduces production times. Kreatize is a manufacturing on demand platform, where companies can upload their designs and find the best supplier from over 200 contract suppliers.

Connected Vehicle Security – GuardKnox

As cars become more connected to online services, they are also more vulnerable to outside attacks. GuardKnox helps us with their component to monitor connected cars. Every single security incidents can now be surveilled in real-time by the DXC Security Operations Center.

Machine Connectivity – Cybus

See how DXC and Cybus are bringing the private cloud into the premises of a factory.

Emotion-enabled Services – Affectiva

By using the Affectiva emotion-detecting software, it is possible to respond to users‘ emotions in real time. DXC and Affectiva developed an emotion-enabled, smart car ambiance controller. 

Emotions are an essential part of our everyday life. We use them to express our own feelings and to determine the best way to approach other people. The passenger’s mood is automatically detected and the entertainment systems, including light and music, are adapted accordingly. In the future, emotion-enabled services will further personalize everyday experiences and make journeys more exciting. 

Automated 3D Visualization - HD Vision

A unique selling point for pre-owned car retailing is offering accurate 3D visualizations of physical cars. DXC‘s vision is to scale the visualization of these objects by using an automated scanning environment for oversized objects. The scanned objects reflect detailed characteristics far better than static photos.

Intelligent Self Service – LexaTexer

DXC and LexaTexer – a next generation software for predictive analytics – address challenges faced by overwhelmed help desks struggling with a high number of requests or increased complexity of issues. Our Intelligent Self Service, an automated support platform, helps identify a problem‘s origin and provides information about incidents that occur on a regular basis.  Based on these insights, we are able to prevent such incidents in advance.

This customer-centric support platform employs holistic data analysis through text analytics, sensor readings and machine learning to produce actionable knowledge rather than uninterpreted information, thus improving service quality and accuracy.

Robotics Process Automation – ProcessGold

DXC Technology and ProcessGold cover many capabilities from gaining data driven insights to optimizing processes and applications to building hybrid organization models with humans and software-based robots. See how we use these process-mining insights to gain valuable information to change and optimize process flows (process reengineering), to adopt applications (e.g. Apps Modernization) or to reassign work from people to robots (RPA). 

Order Controlled Production – Contractus

The joint project between DXC Technology and Contractus demonstrates how an automated process from order request over order fulfilment to the final quality check can be realized. Confidential data remains at the customer’s site and only extracted, non-confidential meta data is used to match the capabilities of other suppliers in the network to the customer’s request.

Future mission

Innovation is the key to succeed in the digital world. We don’t want to stand still. Instead we seek partnerships, cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models in order to help our customers thrive on change. Therefore we are always interested in working together with highly motivated startups and corporate partners.

Learn more about Startup Autobahn