Thousands of new startups are founded every year – emerging companies with the potential to disrupt the rail industry. To give you a head-start on emerging technologies and startups that will impact the rail sector in 2022, we analyzed a total of 564 global rail startups & scaleups. Meet 5 of the most promising startups to watch!
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Rail Startups to Watch in 2022
Out of 564, the 5 rail startups to watch are chosen through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. As the world’s largest resource for data on emerging companies, the SaaS platform enables you to identify relevant startups, emerging technologies & future industry trends quickly & exhaustively.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 rail startups you should watch in 2022 as well as the geo-distribution of the other 559 startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. We hand-picked the 5 highlighted rail startups based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, the relevance of technology, and funding, among others.
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Cognitive Pilot enables Autonomous Trains
Founding Year: 2019
Location: Moscow, Russia
Partner for: Driverless Trains, Engine Driver Assistance
Russian startup Cognitive Pilot develops autonomous self-driving solutions for the rail industry. The startup combines deep-learning neural networks, computer vision, and post-processing algorithms to distinguish several railroad objects, signals, and switches. This is the primary part of autonomous rail systems as efficiently locating and identifying switch positions is critical to avoid re-routing and accidents. Cognitive Pilot’s solution provides these capabilities using a video camera unit, high-resolution millimeter-wave radar, and an industrial-grade computing unit. In addition, it notifies engine drivers upon critical events such as red signals, collision detection, and high speeds. To further improve rail management, it offers real-time location data as well as high-precision maps with tracks and other infrastructure elements.
Rail-Flow facilitates Rail Freight Management
Founding Year: 2020
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Partner for: Purchase & Tender Management
German startup Rail-Flow digitizes rail freight management. The startup’s solution for railway undertakings combines request inflow from various customers into a standardized format. Traditional systems rely on manual work and paper-based workflow for the same task and are time-consuming. However, Rail-Flow enables its users to compare requests and create or update offers within a single platform and in a much shorter time frame. Therefore, this digital channel boosts sales efficiency, increases turnover, and strengthens compliance. It also matches freight capacity with requester demands to optimize rail logistics operations. In addition to purchase and tender management, the startup’s products include intermodal transport and offer management solutions for operators, carriers, and freight forwarders.
Intramotev Autonomous Rail develops Battery-Electric Railcars
Founding Year: 2020
Location: St. Louis, US
Partner for: Autonomous Goods Movement, Zero-Emission Transport
Intramotev Autonomous Rail is a US-based startup that develops autonomous, battery-electric railcars. The startup uses sensors and computer vision to achieve self-driving capacity while the batteries power the locomotive. Environmental impacts due to the railway sector are rising primarily due to the burning of diesel and coal. Hence, companies in the field are reducing their emissions through various sustainable practices, including energy-efficient integrations. Out of these, alternative fuels are at the forefront and Intramotev Autonomous Rail’s electric train enables rail businesses to accelerate electrification and reduce carbon emissions. In addition, the startup’s solution ensures that no railcars sit idle waiting for manually driven locomotives, which further improves the overall performance of rail operations.
Pantherun Technologies manufactures Communication Devices
Founding Year: 2019
Location: Bengaluru, India
Partner for: In-Train Electronic Systems, Train-to-Ground & Wayside Communication
Pantherun Technologies is an Indian startup that provides end-to-end embedded devices for railway communication. The startup’s range of solutions includes level 1 network switches and industrial computers tailored for harsh environments and temperatures. It also provides in-train controllers as well as wayside signaling and telecom systems and train-to-ground communication solutions. Altogether, Pantherun Technologies strengthens the connectivity among the railway assets, enabling an efficient network for the industrial internet of things (IIoT) integration. Besides, its field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based design architecture significantly reduces the overall size of final products. The startup enables railway operators to establish a rigid communication infrastructure as well as ensure end-to-end connectivity and centralized control for all assets. The startup thus facilitates transitioning to a smart and connected rail ecosystem.
ZENTORN improves Engine Energy Efficiency
Founding Year: 2020
Location: Moscow, Russia
Partner for: Piston Rod Modification Coating
Russian startup ZENTORN enhances the energy efficiency of train engines. The startup combines plasma electrolytic oxidation, isothermal stamping, and powder metallurgy to apply modification coatings on piston rods to improve its structural properties. As a result, the wear resistance of the piston increases while its thermal conductivity lowers. This also improves the service life of the piston rods and extends the duration between repairs, in turn, reducing the engine’s fuel consumption. Therefore, the startup allows locomotive manufacturers and railway services to improve fuel efficiency and reduce diesel costs. ZENTRON offers its services for automotive, shipbuilding, oil & gas, and food industries, among others.
Discover All Emerging Rail Startups
The rail startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Rail Innovation Reportfor a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies and emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2022!
