Urban technology startups that are using drones, computer vision-aided sewer robots and more to improve environmental and safety standards are getting some help from Urban-X, an incubator backed by the automaker Mini. This latest cohort of seven companies is the seventh that the incubator has gathered since 2016, when it began assisting urban technology startups. Each company receives $150,000 from Urban-X and other investment partners, including the venture capital firm Urban.us. The startups will also go through a 20-week accelerator program that embeds in the startups engineering, design, development and policy experts from Urban-X’s network and Mini’s parent company, BMW. Three of the seven companies included in this year’s cohort offer environmental solutions, including ChargeLab, an open-source electric vehicle charging station provider; MetalMark, which develops materials that remove pollution from the air; and Hades, a company that uses AI-powered computer vision to identify cracks, defects and blockages in sewers. Normally … Continue reading Sewer scanners, drone hives funded in latest Urban-X startup cohort