Autotech Ventures

Autotech Ventures portfolio company Hayden AI is helping Culver CityBus keep bus and bike lanes clear with its automated enforcement technology, improving public transit reliability and road safety. With a proven track record in New York, DC, LA, and Oakland, Hayden AI’s technology reduces illegal parking, speeds up transit, and enhances accessibility—making public transportation a faster, safer, and more reliable option. Culver City is the latest to embrace AI-powered enforcement, ensuring a more efficient, accessible urban mobility system.?

SpotHero’s Road to Success - "How I Built This" Our longtime portfolio company, SpotHero, is now one of North America's largest digital parking platforms, operating in about 300 cities. It all started with two Chicago roommates, Mark Lawrence and Jeremy Smith who were frustrated by expensive parking fines. They launched SpotHero in 2011 as a peer-to-peer platform but soon pivoted to partnering with garages. Hear the full story on Guy Raz's podcast, "How I Built This."

AI: The Essential Tool for Navigating Tariff Disruptions - by Burak Cendek The past two weeks have shown how quickly global trade conditions can shift, with new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum triggering retaliatory measures from key trading partners worldwide. These rapid policy changes introduce uncertainty into supply chains, driving costs and forcing businesses to adapt in real time. At Autotech Ventures, we believe AI is the key to supply chain resilience. AI-powered predictive analytics, automation, and real-time visibility tools enable companies to stay ahead of disruptions or quickly react as situations change. AI enables businesses to: ?? Predict and mitigate risks by continuously analyzing market trends, trade agreements, and policy shifts to provide real-time tariff cost predictions, helping companies make faster, data-driven decisions on sourcing, pricing and contract negotiations. ?? Optimize routing and logistics to reduce costs and delays by identifying the most efficient pathways amid shifting regulations. ?? Enhance customs compliance through automated documentation and AI-powered updates on changing trade laws. ?? Enable dynamic supply chain adjustments by monitoring performance and identifying the best strategic responses to new trade barriers. Our portfolio company,?KlearNow.AI, harnesses AI to help businesses navigate these challenges more efficiently and effectively. KlearNow.AI?uses AI to help businesses cut through the tariff chaos by providing instant tariff exposure assessments, scenario modeling, and automated duty calculations in one place. Unlike traditional customs software that only looks at HTS codes, KlearNow integrates customs and logistics data, ensuring companies have a complete, real-time view of their tariff impact. Reach out to Burak if you'd like to learn more about KlearNow.AI or want to discuss the use of AI in supply chain and logistics!

The Auto Sector Just Dodged a Bullet—But for How Long? The U.S. auto industry is deeply interconnected with its North American neighbors, and the latest tariff delay is a stark reminder of just how vital that integration is. In a guest commentary for Automotive News, Desteia (formerly Auba) co-founder Diego Solorzano—part of Autotech Ventures’ portfolio—provides a POV as to why the automotive industry was temporarily excluded from the recent wave of trade tariffs and what it means for the industry moving forward. ?? A Borderless Auto Industry: The U.S. may have built 10.66 million vehicles in 2023, but it sold 15.6 million—meaning that Mexico (4M vehicles) and Canada (1.55M vehicles) played a critical role in meeting demand. The supply chain isn’t just international; it’s intricately woven, with car parts crossing borders multiple times before assembly. ?? The Cost of Disruption: Had tariffs taken effect, the impact would have been severe—$45B in added costs for Mexico and Canada, translating to higher prices for American consumers. With 1,948 car part manufacturers in Mexico alone, the ripple effects would have been staggering. ?? A Temporary Reprieve: This delay is just that—a delay. With global supply chains under scrutiny and policy shifts on the horizon, automakers and suppliers must prepare for potential disruptions. Check out Diego’s full commentary in Automotive News. ??

Autotech Ventures principal Ivy Nguyen interviewed Roland Lau, CEO of one of our new portfolio companies, Rynse, to discuss how Rynse is transforming vehicle care and expense management for fleets across the country. What makes Rynse a game-changer? ?? Comprehensive vehicle care—from maintenance to fueling and washing ?? Automated expense management—digitizing every transaction to eliminate manual entry ?? Seamless billing & vendor flexibility—a fleet services payment card that allows managers and administrators to track, control, and consolidate transactions across multiple vendors ?? Integration-ready invoicing—ensuring fleet data syncs effortlessly with existing systems Check out this video to learn more about Rynse, and reach out to Ivy or Roland with any questions or to begin a discussion.

Our portfolio company, indie.inc, a leader in automotive semiconductors, announced a strategic collaboration with GlobalFoundries to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge automotive radar technology. Why does this matter? Radar is a critical enabler for ADAS and autonomous driving, enhancing safety and situational awareness in all driving conditions. By leveraging GF’s manufacturing expertise and indie’s innovative radar solutions, this partnership will bring more efficient, scalable and high-performance radar technology to automakers worldwide.

Innovation thrives when diverse perspectives shape the future of transportation, mobility and logistics. This #InternationalWomen’sDay, we’re celebrating the trailblazing female founders in Autotech Ventures’ portfolio - Candice Xie, Eva Romagosa, Fran?oise Lavertu Stevens, Jennifer Young, Valerie Syme and Kathryn Schifferle. Their vision, expertise and relentless drive are building the next generation of mobility solutions.

Big news from the Autotech Ventures portfolio! Congratulations to Kathryn Schifferle and the Work Truck Solutions team on securing a strategic majority investment from Rubicon Technology Partners. Kathryn, one of our first female founders, has built an industry-leading platform from Chico, California, transforming the way commercial vehicles are bought and sold. Work Truck Solutions, a Fund 1 investment, has grown into a critical player in fleet and work truck management, delivering data-driven solutions that power dealerships and businesses nationwide. We’re excited to see Kathryn and her team continue to scale their impact with Rubicon’s support.

In this second segment of a two-part video, Alexei Andreev and Burak Cendek continue to discuss the transition from AI agents simply as software tools to being treated as a new form of labor. Do you think the ultimate game for AI agents is when the AI agent can create other AI agents to enter the labor force? Have a look at the video for details.

Used EV Market Remains Volatile Amid Policy Uncertainty Fluctuating tax credits, potential tariffs, and broader economic factors are driving instability in used EV values. Paul Fortin, co-founder of our portfolio company Exponential Markets, recently appeared on the Auto Finance News "Weekly Wrap" podcast to discuss the market. “If you want to describe it in one word right now, it’s ‘volatile,’” he said. In January, the Exponential Electric Vehicle Index ticked up 1.6% YTD but remains on a rollercoaster. Short-term demand is up as buyers rush to secure incentives, but long-term pressures could push values down. Click the link in the comments to listen to the podcast.