Automotive Ventures is emerging as the global Seed-stage Mobility venture firm.
Three years ago, we decided to launch our first mobility-focused fund.
Fast forward to today: we’ve made 25 investments out of two funds and we’re about to start raising our third.
Success in life has a lot to do with timing, and we’re benefitting from strong macro trends pushing us forward: the pace of change and innovation across the Mobility landscape is accelerating, providing significant wealth creation opportunities.
Our focus is simple and singular: positioning Automotive Ventures to win.
What does that look like? Let’s reflect on what we’ve learned so far and discuss the path we’re on, as we focus on funding the next wave of innovation in transportation technology.
The firm allocates time across four functions:
1. Helping our investments (Portfolio Companies)
2. Managing our startup pipeline
3. Working with our investors (Limited Partners)
4. Managing our Brand
For today's discussion, we'll conclude with section 4: How do we build and manage the Automotive Ventures brand?
PRIORITY: BRAND
We have been very intentional in building the Automotive Ventures brand, understanding that this investment in time and resource has positive knock-on effects across all other areas of our operations (Portfolio, Pipeline and LPs).
THE AUTOMOTIVE VENTURES BRAND
Our brand attributes include the following:
Proprietary Deal Flow: Our strong brand and industry network means we see deals others don’t; we relentlessly pursue finding great opportunities and cultivating relationships. We are scrappy, curious, and well-networked.
Small Firm that Punches Above Our Weight: A lack of bureaucracy/red tape allows us to use speed as a competitive advantage; we are ambitious.
Perspective on the Future of Mobility: Translates into our well-defined investment thesis.
Invests Early: We venture where few funds tread; we use our small size to our advantage.
Strategic LPs: The strength of our LP network provides us with an unfair advantage.
Accelerate Portfolio Companies: We help our companies move up the maturity curve; we help negotiate contracts / partnerships and stay out of trouble; and help with future fundraising rounds.
WHY CHOOSE US?
We understand that the best deals will always be competitive. Why would a founder pick Automotive Ventures over a different investor?
Our Thesis: We have a strong thesis for how the future will unfold. (Link to our investment thesis)
Our Network: Our network is second to none.
Deep Industry Expertise: Our guidance and market perspective gives founders access to “smart money.”
Investor Introductions: We help founders raise and close subsequent rounds.
Credibility & Audience: Our industry reputation and reach gives founders added credibility and distribution.
Enterprise Introductions: We vet our portfolio’s offerings and get them in the door at major customers.
WRAPPING UP
We invest at the intersection of where startups will solve big pain points across the evolving mobility landscape while delivering outsized returns for our investors.
As a team, we remain focused on identifying the most promising opportunities, supporting our portfolio companies in their efforts to scale and succeed, while generating strong returns for our investors. We believe that our strategy of investing in early-stage technologies will continue to pay dividends in the years to come.
Great investors exhibit the following attributes:
We will continue to strive to embody these qualities in everything we do, each and every day.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to working closely together with you to create the future of this industry.
