Mini's new Urban-X platform is being expanded to Singapore, Indonesia, France, and Italy. For its four-week pilot program, Urban-X worked with Mini Markets to identify four startups working in the field of urban tech. Those four startups will be provided bespoke guidance from Urban-X to fine-tune their solutions.

Most major manufacturers are taking sustainability quite seriously these days, and brands like Mini are doing their utmost to electrify their cars and work towards a net-zero future.

Mini, which is getting ready to launch a new EV Cooper and wacky Aceman EV, is at the forefront of the sustainability march thanks to its innovative Urban-X platform, which focuses on reimagining city life and supports transformative climate technology.

Urban-X was established by Mini in 2016 and partners with startups to build exciting new technology solutions for a sustainable future.

It recently identified Dulang, an Indonesian startup focused on swapping, recycling, and educating people on electronics. The company empowers people to make better choices when handling second-hand or older tech.

Urban-X also teamed up with Humfree, a Singapore-based mobility company that builds electric scooters. In Europe, Urban-X identified FabBRICK, a company that uses patented technology to turn textile waste from the fashion industry into decorative and functional brick-sized blocks. These blocks can be used for interior paneling, display systems, and furniture.

Finally, Urban-X has partnered with Wiseair, a company based in Italy that measures outdoor air quality in cities and helps city officials to launch clean air initiatives.

"After supporting eleven cohorts of startup founders as they build breakthrough, scalable solutions over the last six years, we wanted to help strengthen even more emerging startups, especially in areas of sustainability, as the call to combat climate change has never been so pressing," said Sarah Schappert, Director of Urban-X Europe.

"Responding to demand to create a presence with Urban-X from various countries where Mini is represented, we've globally expanded the Urban-X platform with this Mini-Impact program -an extension that allows us to maximize our impact amid growing climate challenges in cities around the world."

Since 2016, Urban-X has invested in over 80 companies.