Tyfone is one of two companies to join the Jaguar Land Rover technology incubator in Portland, Oregon.
With the auto industry in the midst of technological revolution, Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC has found a way to get a look at new developments by nurturing tech startups at the company’s small outpost on the West Coast.
The new additions to JLR’s “technology accelerator” program, Tyfone and Simplenight, focus on increasing data security and personalizing consumer experiences two key areas of interest and concern to consumers.
Located in Portland, Oregon, the Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator was launched in January 2016 and offers the company an opportunity to get a firsthand look at new technology as it develops.
It builds on the Jaguar Land Rover Open Software Technology Center in Portland, which was established in July 2014.
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The JLR Incubator’s goals is to nuture approximately 120 startup companies during the next decade. Tyfone and Simplenight are the latest to join the Jaguar Land Rover technology accelerator program in 2017.
“We’re excited to have Tyfone and Simplenight join our program, as we continue to explore heightening the security of transmitted data and creating customized experiences for Jaguar Land Rover consumers,” said Danielle Alexander, Incubator general manager.
“We’re eager to collaborate with these two companies for the next six months as we see what opportunities there might be to apply these technologies for Jaguar Land Rover consumers in the future,” she added.
Tyfone brings the security of chips in your credit card to the convenience of using your mobile phones through its patented SideCard product, which packs security, radio and battery technologies in an easy to carry ultra-thin credit card form factor that otherwise would be 25 times larger.
With a simple push of a button it delivers the highest level of security sufficient for military grade applications without the need for complex passwords and cumbersome enrollment, Tyfone officials note.
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Tyfone currently has 140 issued and pending patents, and serves key industries with converged omnichannel security needs such as financial services, critical infrastructure, transportation, and the U.S. Government.
Simplenight is a business-to-business global distribution platform for in-destination experiences including tours, dining, shows, events, attractions, transportation, nightlife, hotels and more. It enables companies to sell these activities to their customers, in addition to their own core offering, while sharing in the revenue.
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It already offers over 500,000 bookable products in more than 1,300 destinations over 150 countries.
The Jaguar Land Rover accelerator program is designed specifically to support new automotive, mobility and connected car technologies that are being developed by U.S. startups. Jaguar isn’t the only automaker looking to tap into the newest technologies through incubators.
Ford launched Techstars Mobility in 2014 to foster startups focused on mobility and transportation solutions. It has 10 startups in place for 2017. While Ford helped to launch it, the corporate partners now include: Verizon, Honda, next47 (the independent investment arm of Siemens), Bosch, InMotion (powered by Jaguar Land Rover), AAA, Dana, Munich Re, and Michelin.
General Motors is working with more than 500 startups through its GM Ventures arm looking for mobility technologies that will give it a leg up on Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and other automakers.
In the case of Jaguar’s incubator, each quarter, new startup companies are hosted for a six-month period and are provided with a variety of resources including direct investment and services, development support from the Jaguar Land Rover global engineering teams, internal and external mentorship.
Additionally, they are provided with designated space within the Portland research and development facilities. So far, the incubator has played host to more than a dozen startups.