Evix, winning startup of 7th Edition of Línea Directa Foundation's Road Safety Entrepreneurs Award

• This Barcelona-based company has developed a cervical airbag system which is integrated into cycle helmets and which can be applied to other types of road users. The system is activated immediately after an accident and the airbag inflates to prevent the cyclist from moving and suffering a cervical or spinal injury..
• The panel, comprising selected company employees, members of the entrepreneurial community and also the public administration, prioritised criteria such as the project's effectiveness at improving road safety, its economic viability and level of innovation. 
• Evix will receive €20,000 in prize money which, as with previous editions, cannot be carried over or converted. The startup will also receive training and mentoring.
• The second place startup was LiveLink, which, through its KOMOBI brand, has developed an e-Call device for motorcycles which is able to detect when a motorcycle accident occurs and automatically alert emergency services.

Madrid, 14 May 2021. Evix has won the 7th Edition of Línea Directa Foundation's “Road Safety Entrepreneurs Award” which aims to stimulate and recognise the best initiatives to reduce traffic accidents, mortality and to improve care for victims. Evix’s winning project is highly innovative: a cervical airbag system integrated into cycle helmets but also applicable to other types of road users. The system is activated immediately after an accident and the airbag inflates to prevent the cyclist from moving and suffering a cervical or spinal injury.

This year's five finalists submitted their proposals using the elevator pitch format where they were given just five minutes in front of a panel of nine judges comprising selected company employees, members of the entrepreneurial community and also the public administration who selected the winner based on criteria such as the project's economic viability, degree of innovation and its effectiveness at improving road safety. 

The Barcelona-based company will receive €20,000 net in prize money which, as in previous years, cannot be carried over or converted. It will also have the opportunity  to receive training and mentoring to reinforce its mission and grow as a startup.

Later, Evix may be able to access funding rounds from the Bankinter Innovation Foundation and from IESE Business School, which will provide a great opportunity to talk with professionals and obtain feedback on their performance. The company will also attend the upcoming South Summit, where it can engage with the entrepreneurial community and meet potential investors. LiveLink, the second-place startup, will also be invited to attend South Summit.

LiveLink seeks to reduce road fatalities with its e-Call device for motorcycles capable of detecting motorcycle accidents and automatically alerting emergency services. Its KOMOBI product line utilises this technology.

Mar Garre, Managing Director of Línea Directa Foundation noted that the purpose of this initiative is to "support entrepreneurs who are focused on furthering business ideas which create jobs, generate wealth and provide solutions that contribute to improving road safety in Spain, a vital objective for our Foundation."
The 7th Edition of the Road Safety Entrepreneurs Award received 52 project submissions, consolidating its position as a reference point in the entrepreneurial community and in road safety as well as the first Spanish initiative to promote startups striving to reduce the number of road victims to zero.

Winners from previous years  

Last year's winner, Trucksters, submitted a project which uses an innovative road freight transport system based on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data which can reduce delivery times by 50%. The project selected in 2019 was Textia Innovative Solutions, which had developed a Child Restraint System (CRS) manufactured with innovative 'Varstiff' technology. 

Other winners include Closca Design (2018) for its cycle helmet which is half the volume of other helmets to encourage its use in urban areas; Help Flash (2017) for its luminous device which drivers can use immediately the event of a breakdown or accident  and DriveSmart (2016) for its app which analyses and assesses drivers' behaviour and offers personalised advice to improve road safety. The winner of the first edition in 2015 was Euraslog for its innovative child restraint system for buses which can be fitted to all seats. This harness is safe and easy to handle and can be installed in less than 30 seconds.