Automotive Ventures

Seed capital for the mobility sector

Automotive Ventures is a global seed-stage investor that backs founders building technology for transportation and mobility. Its team has spent much of its career inside the automotive industry, and the firm says that experience, a clear view of how the future will unfold, and a strong network are what set it apart. Entrepreneurs who are raising money are invited to send a pitch.

What the firm says founders get

It describes three advantages. Guidance and market perspective, which it calls smart money, help portfolio companies mature and avoid trouble. Its industry reputation gives founders credibility and access to early customers and partners, and its links with co-investors help them raise later rounds. The third is plain support: the firm says it aims to be a steadfast presence for founding teams in good times and bad.

Where it invests

The firm lists the areas it covers:

• Connectivity, cybersecurity and compliance, because vehicles produce more data than ever.
• Autonomy, robotics and AI.
• Shared assets, subscription and convenience models of ownership.
• New energy sources.
• The evolution of auto commerce, as buying moves from analog to digital.
• Smart city and urban mobility.
• Mining, agricultural and other non-automotive uses of mobility technology, which it says may be the most immediately compelling from a return perspective.

Funds and dealerships

Its funds include a main fund and DealerFund, which lets car dealerships invest in startups they help to grow and take part financially in the change the industry faces.

Automotive Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests at seed stage in transportation and mobility technology. Steve Greenfield is its founder and chief executive, and the team comes from the automotive industry.

What Automotive Ventures offers

• Seed investment: early funding for mobility startups.
• Industry expertise: guidance from people who have spent much of their careers in the auto ecosystem.
• Network access: introductions to potential customers, partners and co-investors for later rounds.
• Founder support: steady backing for founding teams through good and difficult periods.

Who it works with

It invests across connectivity and cybersecurity, autonomy, robotics and AI, shared assets and subscriptions, new energy sources, auto commerce, smart city mobility, and non-automotive uses such as mining and farming. Its DealerFund vehicle lets car dealerships invest in startups.

Key facts

• Stage: seed
• Reach: global
• Leadership: Steve Greenfield, founder and chief executive
• Funds: Fund I and DealerFund I