Nico Rosberg: Europe Lags Behind US in Green Start-Up Spirit

A tale of two start-up hubs. As the global population becomes increasingly urbanised, the race is on to develop innovative solutions that can transform the way people move through cities.

This is a challenge that has captured the attention of former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg, who, since retiring from the track, has started his own venture capital company, Rosberg Ventures.

Nico says he sees a stark contrast in entrepreneurial spirit between Europe and the United States.

In a social media post, Nico shared his observations from a trip to Silicon Valley, where he found that around 50% of Stanford students he spoke with expressed a desire to launch their own start-up. By contrast, Nico estimates that figure is closer to just 15% in Europe.

"The difference in ambition and the culture of mentorship in the US is on a completely different level and I saw it first-hand during my recent trip," Nico says.

"Start-ups in the US aren't just solving problems; they're reshaping entire industries. There's a crazy drive, a willingness to take risks and a strong network of mentors that propels innovation at a much faster pace."

Investing in a "post-car future"

One start-up that has caught Nico's eye is Infinite Machine, founded by brothers Joseph and Eddie Cohen.

The company's goal is to "build the most compelling non-cars on the planet and inspire a post-car future".

After test-driving the company's first-of-its-kind electric scooter, Nico was impressed by the combination of "cutting-edge industrial design with breakthrough performance and utility".

"As New Yorkers, they wanted vehicles that fit their lives, but it was super important to pair cutting-edge industrial design with breakthrough performance and utility," Nico says. "This, in my mind, definitely has the power to transform urban mobility."

With 68% of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050, Nico believes rethinking urban mobility is not just exciting, but necessary.

"New York itself is becoming a major hotspot for European founders wanting to crack the US market, offering a vibrant mix of talent, capital and culture: something that reminded me a lot of Europe, just on a faster clock."

The electric scooter, named P1, has a top speed of 55mph and the company says it was inspired by New York City.

A study from Harvard and the University of North Carolina says that New York City logged more than 2,000 premature deaths in 2016.

These were specifically linked to high amounts of fine particulate matter and ozone that are emitted by cars, despite less than half of its population being car owners.

Traffic in the city costs the city and its residents more than US$6bn annually due to traffic collisions and lost time.

Nico Rosberg’s support for green tech

Nico works with companies, including Deutsche Bahn, as an ambassador for sustainable change through technological innovation.

He has invested in successful start-ups including What3Words and Chargepoint and is an investor and shareholder of electric racing series Formula E. 

Nico is also the owner and CEO of Extreme E team Rosberg X Racing.

Extreme E is an all-electric off road racing series with a focus on sustainability and raising awareness about climate change. 

Each Extreme E team is required to have one male and one female driver who share equal driving duties, making space for women in a male-dominated field. 

In 2025 the series will transform into Extreme H and use hydrogen powered vehicles. 

Kimmo Liimatainen, Team Principal of Rosberg X Racing, says: “This new era of motorsport is exciting to witness.

“The launch of Extreme H is a natural step forward, improving technology and racing while keeping Extreme E's core values in the race against climate change.”

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