Techstars Mobility Highlights The 'Entrepreneurial Resurgence' In Detroit

Techstars Mobility announced the first 10 startups that will receive funds and business plan support. The list includes a wide variety of companies that go well beyond the auto industry. "Automotive, connected vehicle is huge," Ted Serbinski, managing director of Techstars Mobility, told Benzinga. "And there's one company in the program, Cosmos Browser -- it's like a communications company for third-world countries, allowing you to browse the Internet without a data connection." Serbinski said that Techstars Mobility is "really a combination of the emergence of the entrepreneurial resurgence going on in Detroit and the automotive dominance." "At the center of that is a huge, emerging culture and there's this region of amazing automotive mentors, and so it was a no-brainer," he said. "If we can combine the two, it gives us a huge competitive edge."

The Stars Of Techstars

Serbinski kicked off the list by introducing Ansik, a company that built an app for improving the process of automotive service. This promising newcomer is dedicated to making automotive servicing safer, quicker and more affordable. Next up was CDL Warrior, a special platform for the trucking industry. The firm describes itself as a "time management, communication and compliance system for truck drivers and fleets." Classics&Exotics is a unique entry into the world of car sharing. Instead of bringing another hybrid rental to consumers who don't need to own a motor vehicle, this company allows its members to rent classic and exotic cars owned by collectors and other individuals.

Unlike Anything You've Seen Before

Those startups serve a very specific market, but what about a company that could forever change the way consumers surf the Web? Cosmos Browser aims to accomplish just that by offering a fully-featured Web experience over SMS -- no data (2G, 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi) required. Cosmos has not revealed how this is accomplished, but its potential is massive. Many startups offer a service -- Elegus Technologies is getting a little more physical. The firm has produced a new a battery separator (made from Kevlar) that can extend a battery's safety, longevity and performance. Gear Brake is a brake light module that illuminate's a motorcycle's brake lights when the driver slows down. This is far more significant than the average driver may realize. Unlike traditional automobiles, motorcycles can nearly come to a complete stop without flashing the brake lights. This results in fewer visual cues and the potential for more accidents. Gear Brake hopes to change that. Motoroso, another startup in the auto space, is a new community for automotive and powersports enthusiasts. Most major automakers are already fans of My Dealer Service, which allows them to send status updates to their customers. They can also send photos of necessary repairs and offer surveys to gauge customer satisfaction. Splt hopes to make ride sharing more social with its new website. Last but not least was Wise Systems, a company working to simplify on-demand delivery. Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.