VW Lab Chief Accelerating

Startups at Plug and Play

Peter Oel, Executive Director of Volkswagen’s Electronics Research Lab in Belmont, has started the auto giant’s first startup accelerator program. He spent some time with the Business Journal, discussing the accelerator’s plans and how it will back 10 startups at a time in the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale.

Volkswagen’s Silicon Valley Play Shows Corporate Giants Need to Get Small

The company and the incubator are looking for companies working on social media, integrating mobile devices with cars, parking apps, display, voice recognition and visual computing... the move by Volkswagen, which has a shop of 100 engineers, researchers, designers and social scientists working in Belmont, shows how important tech is to the auto industry. As the basics of cars become more and more alike, car makers are looking to differentiate their products with bells and whistles... Large, established companies are looking for ways to stretch their innovation muscles. Sure, they have big R&D operations, but sometimes such operations are weighted down by the legacy of the parent company.

Accelerators Are No Longer

Just for Tech Companies

The structure of corporate accelerators varies. Volkswagen is conducting its program, for example, in partnership with Plug & Play Tech Center, a long-time Silicon Valley accelerator. Startups accepted into the three-month program get free office space at

Plug & Play’s facility along with coaching, meetings with Volkswagen staff and potentially use of company cars to test products.