Széchenyi startup reaches finals of San Francisco World Cup

EV.analytica, founded by former students of Széchenyi István University and partly owned by the institution, has won the Budapest round of the Startup World Cup. This achievement opens the gates to the global market for them, as they have now directly qualified for the world finals in San Francisco, where the stakes are a one-million-dollar investment and the spotlight of international recognition.

The Budapest round of the Startup World Cup was held recently, where EV.analytica also introduced itself. The business was founded by three young professionals – András Németh, Zoltán Papp and Gergely Simon – the latter two earning their master’s degrees in vehicle engineering at Széchenyi István University. The product they have developed, EV.app, brings the convenience of refuelling traditional cars into the world of electric vehicles: it enables users, via a single platform, to find the best charging point, start charging and complete payment. In addition, the company places strong emphasis on data-driven developments, such as predicting battery lifespan, network energy storage, as well as collaborations with insurers and fleet managers.

EV.analytica now has the chance to compete with the world’s best start-ups in the heart of Silicon Valley, aiming to win the one-million-dollar grand prize offered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. Reaching the international finals is not only important because of the investment opportunity, but also because global partnerships and market entry opportunities may open up for the Hungarian start-up. “Reaching the finals in San Francisco is an enormous opportunity for any start-up. For us, it is especially important that we can represent not only Hungary, but also the community of Széchenyi István University in the world’s innovation capital. This international competition also inspires us to think further about the future: our goal is for EV.app to appear not only on mobile phones but also directly in the onboard systems of cars, thereby offering users an even more convenient experience,” explained Gergely Simon.

The connection between Széchenyi István University and EV.analytica is evident not only through the founders. The University’s commercialisation company, Uni Inno Zrt., has also acquired a stake as a professional investor, while its Digital Development Centre contributed to creating the technological background of the application. In this way, the young enterprise was able to rely on the University’s knowledge base and innovation infrastructure.