πŸ€– Can AI really transform the Automotive Supply Chains?

Welcome to The Paddock, your go-to place for the latest insights and trends revolutionizing the mobility sector globally. πŸš—

β€” Curated by Rodolfo, Enrique, Cecy, and Bernardo: the Proeza Ventures team. πŸ’ͺ

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πŸš€ AWS Community Day at Monterrey

Last June 18th, our Investment Associate, Cecilia Gonzalez, was part of AWS COMMUNITY DAY MONTERREY, the most awaited networking event for the tech community and startups in Monterrey.⛰️ 

She was joined by Lissy M GiacomΓ‘n Colyer, CEO & Cofounder of Vinco, and Pamela Villarreal G, CEO & Cofounder at OTIF.

πŸŽ™οΈ Check out Wortev Capital Podcast

Cecilia also participated in Wortev Capital’s podcast “Invierte, impulsa y evoluciona.” 

Go listen to her reflections on how entrepreneurial capital transforms ideas into reality in this episode!


πŸ† Our PortCos News

πŸ›΅ Ridepanda is a good idea

Ridepanda was recognized on Fast Company’s 2024 World-Changing Ideas list!

Fast Company is the world’s leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, and world-changing ideas. Congrats team!

♻️ Partner Up for Clean Energy

Rhythmos.io and FlexCharging have partnered together to support grid resilience, simplify smart EV charging, and encourage EV adoption! 

With this fusion, they hope to bring EV stakeholders together to accelerate innovation and help prevent grid reliability challenges before they happen.

πŸ—£οΈ Electric Era has the word

Our friends from Electric Era have released a new issue in their newsletter: Charging Ahead! 

This time they discuss Driving Customer Loyalty through Reliability, Understanding EV Utilization Growth, Leading the EV Industry Conversation, and More

Go subscribe!

πŸ’ͺ Deftpower’s power

Deftpower had a great participation in the last Congres Laadinfra ’24!

They opened a new office and test room in Arnhem, where they presented their charging solutions alongside their partners FLEXECHARGEFloading Energy Infra, and Longship IT Solutions.

πŸ€– How is AI transforming Automotive Supply Chains amid industry changes?

The automotive industry is undergoing a massive transformation, driven by the push toward sustainability and decarbonization. This shift brings numerous challenges, especially in managing complex supply chains. 

However, the now-so-popular artificial intelligence (AI) offers a powerful solution, streamlining operations, boosting efficiency, and mitigating risks. 

At Proeza VC we are very excited about what the future holds for the automotive world now that AI is starting to, revolutionize supply chain management. Let’s dive into some of these changes:

The Complexity of Automotive Supply Chains

Think of the automotive supply chain as a giant web of interconnected players: car manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers of various levels, logistics providers, and dealerships. Each link in this chain is crucial for delivering high-quality vehicles on time and within budget.

However, traditional supply chain methods often struggle with real-time visibility, manual processes, and outdated systems, leading to inefficiencies and delays.

AI: The Game-Changer in Supply Chain Operations

We say AI is the game-changer for the automotive supply chain because it offers innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. Here’s a closer look at its impact:

  1. Predicting Demand and Managing Inventory: AI can sift through mountains of data to predict customer demand more accurately and optimize inventory levels, ensuring that there are neither too many nor too few parts in stock.
  2. Optimizing Routes and Logistics: By analyzing real-time traffic conditions, AI helps create the best delivery routes, saving fuel and time.
  3. Preventing Maintenance Issues: AI predicts when maintenance is needed and ensures quality control, reducing downtime and keeping vehicles in top condition.
  4. Managing Supplier Relationships and Risks: AI identifies potential risks in the supply chain and suggests ways to mitigate them, making the entire process more resilient.

Navigating the Shift to Electric Vehicles (EVs)

As the automotive industry shifts from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to meet decarbonization goals, the supply chain complexities grow. 

πŸ‘‰ BEVs require advanced technology and materials like lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are hard to source and mass-produce. AI steps in helping in multiple matters:

  • AI can quickly identify bottlenecks, skill shortages, and logistical issues, helping manufacturers address disruptions before they become big problems.
  • AI provides a clearer picture of the entire supply chain, including second and third-tier suppliers, making risk management easier.
  • AI helps make the best use of critical materials, ensuring the supply chain can adapt to changes in resource availability.

Furthermore, the benefits AI brings to supply chain management go from reducing operational costs to adaptability, personalization, and improved customer satisfaction.

πŸ“Œ The automotive industry’s move towards decarbonization brings significant supply chain challenges. AI offers a powerful tool to manage these challenges, improving efficiency, visibility, and resilience. 

We believe that companies that successfully integrate AI into their supply chains will gain a competitive edge and be better prepared for future success. Embracing AI and related technologies is crucial for navigating the current complexities of our industry and achieving sustainability goals!

🌱 Opportunities in Mobility

There are countless ways to improve a more efficient and sustainable mobility landscape. Here we found some you might like:

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Head of EV Charging Network Operations- Electric Era

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Inventory Logistics Manager – Electric Era

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Backend Engineer – Bliq

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Radar/RF System Engineer – Lunewave

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Accountant – BusUp

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Inside Salesperson – Gauge

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Manufacturing Engineer – XOS

πŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸ’» Manager of SEC Reporting – XOS

πŸ“― Hot Deals

At Proeza VC we check many deals weekly. 

Here are the Top deals that caught our attention recently.

πŸš€ Qargo, a London, U.K. and Ghent, Belgium-based workload management platform for the trucking industry, raised $14 million in Series A funding from Balderton Capital. (06.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Botsync, a Singapore-based startup that creates automated mobile robots that help manufacturers and warehouses with their operations, raised a $5.2 million Series A round co-led by Capital 2B and Belatron Venture Group. (05.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Ship Angel, a New York-based startup that offers AI tools for managing shipping rates, auditing invoices, and identifying discrepancies in shipping contracts, raised a $5 million round co-led by Glasswing Ventures and Newark venture partners. (11.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Echion Technologies, a UK-based developer of advanced lithium-ion battery materials, has received a Β£29 million Series B led by Volta Energy Technologies. (13.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Unigrid, a San Diego-based startup creating batteries for long-term energy storage, received a $12 million Series A led by Transition VC and Ritz Venture Capital. (13.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Aepnus Technology, an Oakland-based startup that focuses on creating a circular economy for key battery manufacturing materials by recycling and reusing critical components, raised an $8 million seed round led by Clean Energy Ventures. (14.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ CargoSense, a US-based supply chain automation startup raised an $8 million Series A round led by Lanzatech Ventures with participation from Merck Global Health Innovation Fund (MGHIF). (12.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Waabi, a Toronto-based developer of a generative AI system for use in truck driving, raised a $200 million Series B led by Uber and Khosla Ventures. (18.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Gray Matter Robotics, a Gardena, Calif.-based company developing autonomous robots for manufacturing, raised $35 million in Series B funding. Wellington Management led the round and was joined by NGP Capital, Euclidean Capital, and others. (20.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ bitsensing, a South Korea-based automotive radar technology company, raised $25 million in Series B funding from the Korea Development Bank, HL Mando Corporation, Industrial Bank of Korea, Aju Capital, and others. (18.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Princeton NuEnergy, a Princeton, N.J.-based lithium-ion battery recycler, raised $30 million in Series A funding from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, Helium-3 Ventures, and others. (17.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Kinetic, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based network of service centers for electric and autonomous vehicles, raised $21 million in Series B funding led by Menlo Ventures. (20.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ COMPREDICT, a Germany-based developer of virtual sensors designed to collect car mobility data, raised $15 million in Series B funding. Woven Capital led the round and was joined by Shift4Good. (25.Jun.2024)

πŸš€ Cartken, an Oakland, CA.-based maker of diminutive sidewalk delivery robots, just raised $10 million in funding led by 468 Capital. (03.Jul.2024)

That’s it for this month!

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