Welcome to The Paddock, your go-to place for the latest insights and trends revolutionizing the mobility sector globally. 🚗
— Curated by Rodolfo, Enrique, Cecy, and Bernardo: the Proeza Ventures team. 💪
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🪩 Proeza Ventures Spotlight
🚀 Welcome Gaston, Proeza’s new Investment Associate!
We’re excited to welcome Gaston Eguren back to the Proeza family. Gaston was our very first analyst when we started back in 2019, playing a crucial role in supporting our initial investments.
During that time, he developed a deep passion for the world of mobility and entrepreneurship, which led him to explore the entrepreneurial landscape further. Now he’s returning to us with even more experience and enthusiasm! We’re thrilled to have Gaston back, ready to continue helping us reshape mobility.
Welcome back, Gaston! 🕺
💹 Rodolfo was at Wex VC Summit 2024
Rodolfo Dieck, Managing Partner at Proeza Ventures, recently spoke at the Wex VC Summit 2024.
He joined the panel “Global Perspectives: Comparative Trends in Fleet Electrification,” discussing key factors influencing global EV adoption, leading market indicators, and the potential impact of Chinese OEMs on Western electric mobility.
🏆 Our PortCos News
🚗 Urban Talks
Chinmay Malaviya, founder and CEO of Ridepanda, got invited to Everybody in the pool, a climate solution podcast by Molly Wood. They discussed how RidePanda is transforming urban mobility and what it means for people who live in cities.
ℹ️ Moving closer
Kigo, a startup developing Smart Mobility solutions to transform how we move around the world, just opened 5 new locations in Mexico where you can already find Kigo stations! Join the mobility of the future and manage all access from your cell phone.
👉 Discover where they are here!
🚲 Micromobility is a HUGE deal
This past June, our portfolio company, Joyride, returned to Micromobility Europe 2024, one of the premier events dedicated to the shared mobility industry.
Joyride has been closely involved in this conference since before, and it has had a front-row seat to the rapid evolution of micromobility, from groundbreaking hardware innovations to emerging business strategies.
This year, the event once again showcased the industry’s forward momentum, with discussions and demonstrations that underscored the technological advancements and bright future of shared micromobility.
Here are 3 key trends our friends from Joyride got to observe, along with actionable insights for mobility operators and investors:
Profitability Becomes Tangible
The era of profitability in micromobility is here, with industry leaders like Tier-Dott, Swing, and Lime setting the pace.
Sessions at the conference, such as “How to build a profitable company in shared micromobility?” highlighted the focus on R&D, operational cost control, and reducing vehicle theft and vandalism, all contributing to more sustainable business models.
For independent operators, this signals a significant shift. The days of flashy venture capital spending are winding down, pushing companies to adopt leaner, higher-margin models.
This evolution is leading to more consolidated growth, as operators prioritize efficiency and profitability over rapid, unsustainable expansion.
Cost Control in Manufacturing
Cost efficiency is extending beyond operations and into manufacturing, with OEMs like Okai and Navee introducing more affordable, robust vehicles.
By reducing materials costs and extending warranties, these manufacturers are helping to lower barriers to entry and support fleet expansion, even amid supply chain challenges.
This trend is expected to drive further growth in the sector, making high-quality electric vehicles more accessible to operators.
AI Cameras Enhancing Safety
Innovations in AI, battery technology, IoT devices, and autonomous vehicle capabilities were central topics at the event.
Companies like Luna and Omni showcased AI camera systems designed to enhance vehicle safety and fleet efficiency, a trend that is expected to become standard in the industry. These advancements are not just incremental but are driving the next wave of innovation in micromobility, with potential applications across multiple and new form factors.
The integration of these technologies is paving the way for smarter, more connected vehicles, which are likely to transform the micromobility landscape by improving user experiences and operational efficiencies.
Looking Ahead
The future of micromobility looks promising, with intelligent, connected, and autonomous vehicles continuing to shape the industry. As a leading mobility SaaS platform, Joyride is well-positioned to leverage these trends to transform mobility models and modernize industries with sustainable, connected vehicle solutions.
Curious about how our portfolio companies are shaping the future of mobility? Explore more about Joyride and other innovative leaders in our portfolio by visiting our website.
Let’s drive the next wave of innovation together.
📆 Where to find us next?
- 👉 Houston Climate Week, Sep 13
- 👉 MOVE América, Sep 24
Will you be there? Let us know!
📗 Interesting Reads
💡 Teleoperation and autonomous driving
As autonomous vehicle technology advances, many driverless fleet operators are progressing toward scaling and commercialization. However, there will always be challenging scenarios that AV systems may struggle to navigate, such as conflicts between traffic laws and real-world conditions, unclear road markings, interactions with law enforcement, and unidentified objects.
👉 Interested in exploring how teleoperation can address these edge cases and support the future of autonomous driving? Learn more in this article of DriveU.auto.
💡 Intelligent Transportation
Driven by safety objectives, India plans to accelerate the development and implementation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and intelligent transportation, keeping pace with the global trend shaping the future of mobility.
👉 Check the full note shared by our friends from Ottometric.
🌱 Opportunities in Mobility
▶️ There are countless ways to improve a more efficient and sustainable mobility landscape. Here we found some you might like:
👩🏻💻 Border Partnerships Manager – Cargado
👩🏻💻 Software Engineer UX – Electric Era
👩🏻💻 Financial Controller – Electric Era
👩🏻💻 Inventory Logistics Manager – Electric Era
👩🏻💻 City Launch Manager Warsaw – Bliq
👩🏻💻 Key Account Executive – Bliq
👩🏻💻 Senior Performance Marketing Manager – Bliq
👩🏻💻 Radar/RF System Engineer – Lunewave
👩🏻💻 Sensor Validation Engineer – Lunewave
👩🏻💻 Engineering Change Coordinator – XOS
👩🏻💻 Operations Manager – Ridepanda
👩🏻💻 Senior Software Engineer – Ridepanda
📯 Hot Deals
At Proeza VC we check many deals weekly. Here are the Top deals that caught our attention recently!
🚀 Alvys, a Solana Beach, Calif.-based logistics operating platform, raised $20.5 million in Series A funding. Titanium Ventures led the round and was joined by Picus Capital and existing investors. (15.Jul.2024)
🚀 Arkion, a Sweden-based analytics platform for power grids, raised $4 million in funding. Subvenio Invest led the round and was joined by Neptunia Invest and Antler. (12.Jul.2024)
🚀 Axle Energy, a London-based SaaS company that connects EVs and home energy devices to electricity markets, raised a $9 million seed investment led by Accel. (01.Aug.2024)
🚀 Branch Enery, a Houston startup that provides businesses with renewable energy via on-site battery storage systems, raised a $10.8 million Series A round. Prelude Ventures and Zero Infinity Partners were the co-leads. (07.Aug.2024)
🚀 Carketa, a Utah-based provider of end-to-end data and intelligence software for the automotive industry, secured a $4.4 million funding round. The round was led by new investor Capital Eleven, with participation from existing investors. (08.Aug.2024)
🚀 CarWow, the UK-based group which includes the Carwow online marketplace Auto Express, evo, Driving Electric and Carbuyer – raised £41million in a new funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. (15.Jul.2024)
🚀 Chaiz, an Austin, Texas-based marketplace for extended car warranties, raised $3.7 million in seed funding. ResilienceVC led the round and was joined by Anker Capital, Automotive Ventures, and others. (07.Aug.2024)
🚀 Clutch, a Toronto-based online vehicle marketplace Clutch has received a $10-million strategic investment from iA Financial Group, a Québec City-based insurance and wealth management provider. (09.Jul.2024)
🚀 Coast, a New York City-based fuel and fleet spend management platform, raised $40 million in Series B funding. ICONIQ Growth led the round and was joined by Thomvest and existing investors. (18.Jul.2024)
🚀 Datch, a New York City-based AI platform for frontline manufacturing, energy, and utility sectors, raised $15 million in Series A funding. Third Prime led the round and was joined by existing investors Blackhorn, Blue Bear Capital, and Susquehanna Investment Group. (07.Aug.2024)
🚀 DC Connected, a Germany-based company specialized in AI-driven remote vehicle diagnostics, announced a €2.1M seed funding round led by Insurtech-fund VENPACE. (08.Aug.2024)
🚀 Epilot, a Cologne-based platform powering the green energy transition through digital transformation, has raised €10 million from Expedition Growth Capital. (10.Jul.2024)
🚀 Gaussion, a London-based battery technology company, raised $12 million in Series A funding. Autotech Ventures led the round and was joined by existing investors BGF and UCL Technology Fund. (12.Aug.2024)
🚀 Hayden AI, a San Francisco-based company using AI to develop a traffic management platform for cities, raised a $90 million Series C led by The Rise Fund. (10. Jul.2024)
🚀 Itselectric, a Brooklyn-based electric vehicle curbside charging company announced its $6.5 million seed round led by Failup Ventures and Uber Technologies. (16.Jul.2024)
🚀 Jigcar, a UK-based startup that developed an AI-driven product that can save dealers money and increase profit by improving logistics strategies raised a £750,000 pre-seed round led by Concept Ventures. (09.Aug.2024)
🚀 OneCarNow, a Mexican fintech which offers car rental models for gig workers has raised $86 million in equity and debt led by Caravela Capital, Collide Capital and Great North Ventures. (15.Jul.2024)
🚀 Peak Energy, a Denver, Colo. and San Francisco-based developer of energy storage technology, raised $55 million in Series A funding. Xora Innovation led the round and was joined by Eclipse, TDK Ventures, Lachy Groom, and others. (19.Jul.2024)
🚀 Phyron, a Stockholm-based company that offers an AI content creation platform for car dealers raised €10 million in a Series B led by Round2 Capital. (17.Jul.2024)
🚀 Placer.ai, a startup based in Los Altos, CA, that provides location analytics and foot traffic data for businesses, raised a $75 million round at a $1.45 billion valuation. (05.Aug.2024)
🚀 Rapido, a Bangalore startup whose app allows users to book motorcycle taxi rides, raised a $120 million Series E round at a $1 billion valuation. The deal was led by WestBridge Capital, with additional funds provided by Khazanah. (29.Jul.2024)
🚀 ReliON, a Montréal and Ottawa, Canada-based provider of operations and maintenance services for EV charging infrastructure, raised $2.2 million in funding. Diagram Ventures led the round and was joined by MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, AQC Capital, Anges Québec, and Cycle Momentum. (17.Jul.2024)
🚀 The Lasso, a New York City-based online car bidding platform raised $9.8 million in funding. Crosslink Capital and Manresa Ventures led the round. (09.Jul.2024)
🚀 Vammo, a Brazilian mobility startup raised $5.4 million from EXT Capital a mix of debt and equity. The investment was structured by Solis Investimentos. (17.Jul.2024)
🚀 Veikul, a Mexican startup dedicated to the provision of mobility and logistics services, raised a seed round of $3 million with participation from First Check Ventures and angel investors. (12.Aug.2024)
That’s it for this month!
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