Accelerator pilots

Research and deploy new products faster on I-STREETTM

I-STREETTM accelerator runs a mentorship-driven pilot program and innovation showcase for startups and established companies. We select around ten companies for each semester cohort from a large pool of global applicants. I-STREETTM offers cohort companies the ability to pilot your products on the University of Florida campus I-STREETTM lab or the field with UFTI  staff, leading industry partners and investors.

What to expect in a pilot?

Accelerator runs a minimum 45 day mentorship-driven pilot program and industry showcase for startups and established companies. Pilots deploy on University of Florida Transportation Institute I-STREETTM operated facilities in the campus lab or the field with UFTI staff and leading industry partners.

Pilot overview  →
Application & scoping process

We accept companies to join Fall and Spring semester accelerator cohorts. Pilots are scoped with I-STREETTM staff to determine facilities access, partner advisory, and research requirements to highlight the company's capabilities. Cohort pilots are documented and published as a use case abstract to validate solutions for adoption amongst our network of governments, corporate partners, investors, and alumni.

Apply now  →
What are we looking for?

Startups and established companies seeking to validate and expand product deployments. Our experience and partners  actively seek solutions to support the advancement of Mobility, Public Safety, Climate, Geospatial, Robotics, Autonomous Systems, Logistics, and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

Why pilot  →
Living lab facilities

University of Florida Transportation Institute operated living lab includes office space, vehicle garage, network connectivity, the University of Florida  campus, surrounding roadway networks  across the state of Florida.

Facilities  →
Industry showcase

Cohort companies access a network of I-STREETTM government members, industry council partners, and venture investors. Pilots are paired with UFTI Staff, corporate partners, investors, and alumni to provide mentorship. Companies are invited to attend Industry Showcase events on campus to feature their capabilities.

Accelerator partners →
Regulatory pathway

UFTI has a history of grant development and public sector pilot success. I-STREETTM provides companies and partners the ability to reduce risk and regulatory constraints common in testing new technology in the public sector.

Recent pilots →

I-STREETTM Accelerator

How we help companies succeed

I-STREETTM is ideal for startups and established companies to deploy their products faster and remove common hurdles preventing the adoption of new technologies in regulated industries.

Expand deployments sooner
Industry proven R&D
UFTI published validation
Industry showcase & workshops
Industry, investor & alumni network
Grant development opportunities

Pilot program

Apply, define and deploy

Pilots include the opportunity to deploy technologies in the lab or the field with UFTI staff and workshop with leading industry partners and investors to expand market adoption. Resources include work space, researchers, grant development and access to the University of Florida campus and surrounding Florida roadways.

01
Apply to join a cohort
Accelerator pilots are open in Fall and Spring semester cohorts. We select companies for each cohort from a large pool of global applicants.
02
Define 90 day pilot
Accepted cohort companies will meet with I-STREETTM staff to define requirements for the pilot including hypothesis, testing requirements, measures of success, facilities or locations, and identify appropriate advisor partners.
03
Meet industry advisors
Cohort companies are paired with industry council advisors before the pilot to identify validation observations, partnership opportunities, and provide feedback to scale further market adoption.
04
Run pilot
Companies are scheduled for Fall or Spring semester cohorts based on scope. Cohort companies run pilot with support of UFTI Faculty and Staff on I-STREETTM. Cohort companies have access to I-STREETTM Facilities and industry advisory during the pilot.
05
Publish use case
UFTI documents the pilot to develop a company use case abstract. Use case highlights the company, conducted pilot findings and material observations to validate solution's benefits. Abstract is published by I-STREETTM as an independent source to support the company and the adoption of their solution.
06
Industry showcase
Cohort companies are invited to present during industry showcase events on campus. Industry showcase includes attendees from industry partners, government agencies, investors, faculty, staff and I-STREETTM alumni.
07
Accelerator
Cohort companies become I-STREETTM alumni and are invited to join ongoing accelerator programs, events, and grant development for expanding pilots beyond 90 days.

I-STREETTM accelerator pilot

Frequently asked questions

Are there any IP considerations?
When are the pilots conducted?
What is expected of the company during the pilot?
What is a use case abstract?
Are there any investment opportunities or requirements?

Facilities

Our campus is your sandbox

Since 2017, over 20 pilots, 200 IoT devices, and 5G have been deployed to support industry and government partners.

Workspace

A student village workspace, traffic monitoring area and a 500-square-foot traffic and signals lab.

Vehicle & hardware garage

A three-bay vehicle lab and garage for installation, maintenance and testing.

Connectivity

I-STREET™ technologies include video cameras and roadside units that communicate through direct radio communication with onboard units installed inside selected vehicles.

Transit & micro-mobility

Access a network of public transit, parking and micro-mobility adoption to testing mobility solutions.

Interstates & local roads

Access a roadway network across interstates, highways, and local roads.

Campus setting

Access the University of Florida campus facilities and surrounding community.

Industry Sponsors

Industry sponsors are an essential part of I-STREETTM. Council members partner on grant applications, sponsor pilot use cases, review applications and work with startups to advance corporate innovation.

UFTI
FDOT
Urban SDK
Deepwork Capital
Venture South

Recent announcements

Past Pilots

University of Florida Transportation Institute partners with Urban SDK to expand I-STREET program.

The University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI) has formed a strategic partnership with leading traffic solutions software company, Urban SDK to expand its I-STREET Program to enhance collaboration with local governments and technology startups. This initiative lets local governments improve transportation, mobility, safety, and infrastructure with unprecedented access to cutting-edge transportation technology, research, and solution validation.

Autonomous Shuttle Ready for Passengers

Autonomous shuttles (AS) demonstration projects provide researchers with opportunities to collaborate with industry, community stakeholders, policy makers, local, state, and federal transit authorities. Pilots evaluated two AS implementations (Gainesville and Lake Nona in Florida) from three perspectives that examine the interactions of road users

Realtime Intersection Optimization

The Realtime Intersection Optimizer (RIO) obtains the vehicle arrival information through radar and cameras for both conventional vehicles and AVs as they enter the communication range. The two sources of arrival information are fused, and the resulting arrivals are entered into the algorithm for processing. Optimized signal timings are sent to the signal controller, while optimized trajectories are sent to the AVs and CVs.

Evaluation of Gainesville SPaT Trapezium

The overall goal of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) in improving efficiency and safety within a network of signalized intersections. This communication system is now being transitioned to CV2X frequency.

University of Florida Transportation Institute partners with Urban SDK to expand I-STREET program.

The University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI) has formed a strategic partnership with leading traffic solutions software company, Urban SDK to expand its I-STREET Program to enhance collaboration with local governments and technology startups. This initiative lets local governments improve transportation, mobility, safety, and infrastructure with unprecedented access to cutting-edge transportation technology, research, and solution validation.

Accelerator pilot

Launch on I-STREETTM

I-STREETTM is ideal for new and established companies. It's a testing ground for innovative technologies in mobility, robotics and smart cities. Pilots include the opportunity to deploy technologies in the lab or the field with UFTI staff and workshops with leading industry partners and investors to expand market adoption. Resources include work space, researchers, grant development and access to the University of Florida campus and surrounding Florida roadways.

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