BMW i Ventures

🌱 Congratulations to Bcomp Ltd on their partnership with NASCAR. Ahead of the Chicago Street Race, NASCAR debuted its first all-new battery electric vehicle (BEV) prototype, featuring innovative, sustainable flax-based composites developed by our portfolio company, Bcomp. Their innovative materials are setting new standards for performance and environmental responsibility. Here's to pioneering a greener future in racing! 🏁  #SustainabilityInMotorsports #Innovation #NASCAR #Bcomp Read more below ⬇️

📢 Silicon Valley Bank just published its "State of Hardware-as-a-Service 2024" report, which found that macro trends such as onshoring, clean energy investment, and increased defense spending are driving demand for hardware and capturing investors' attention. The report also underscores the importance of adaptation, showing that the best companies evolve to meet current demands. As our colleague Samantha Huang noted in the report, “For contract renewals, you may have to take a leap of faith, but hopefully, you see some evidence of renewal or expansion by Series B. Some customers who are replacing OpEx really prefer longer contracts to lock in the ROI for their automation investments." Tech companies enabled by machines now hold the highest share of seed-stage VC in four years, with increasing valuations across every stage.  As hardware continues to evolve, it remains indispensable and is continuously adapting to the needs of today’s world. 🚀 #HaaS #VentureCapital #TechTrends #Innovation #siliconvalleybank Read more and download the report ⬇️

Congratulations to our very own Marcus Behrendt, who was named to the Global Corporate Venturing Power List! This accolade is awarded to the most influential figures in corporate venturing and reflects their contributions to the industry. Congratulations Marcus and you can read more below ⬇️

Last week, our Managing Partner, Marcus Behrendt, had an amazing experience at MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined Conference in London. It was an honor for him to be a speaker at this great event among such a stunning line-up of speakers. #technology #mobility #innovation #networking #BMWiVentures

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us this week for our NYC Mobility Happy Hour 🚗! It was a fantastic event, with more than 50 investors and startup founders coming together to share insights and forge connections. Special thanks to our co-hosts, UP.Partners and Silicon Valley Bank, for their incredible support in making this event a success. 🌟

Congrats to our portfolio company Cyclic Materials, on their agreement with Solvay to supply recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO) starting late 2024. 🎉 This partnership highlights a significant step towards sustainable sourcing and enhancing European self-sufficiency in rare earths, which is essential for the EV, wind power, and electronics sectors. More here  ⬇️

📢 Next week, BMW i Ventures, in partnership with UP.Partners and Silicon Valley Bank are co-hosting NYC Mobility Tech Happy Hour. 🚗🍸 🗓️ Date: Tuesday, June 18 ⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT 📍 Location: NoMad / Flatiron area Join us for a casual event that brings mobility founders and investors together to discuss trends that are shaping the future of transportation. Interested in attending?  Please reach out to Allen Chen for more information.

🤖✨Check out the key takeaways from last week’s event on the transformative role of robotics in our future. At the event, Industry leaders shared insights on trends, challenges, and opportunities in the space, including labor shortages, AI, and investment trends. Thanks again to Natasha Mascarenhas, Marin Tchakarov, Jordan Sun, and Jeff Linnell for their interesting insights! More here  ⬇️ 

Congratulations to Ahmad Ghahreman and the entire Cyclic Materials team on the opening of their Hub100 plant. The plant is the first scaled version of Cyclic’s proprietary hydrometallurgical technology and demonstrates its feasibility at a commercial scale. The commissioning of North America’s first supply of recycled rare earth elements marks a pivotal advancement toward a sustainable, domestic ecosystem for these crucial materials, which power advanced technologies in motors, data centers, and more. ⚡💡🔋🔌 More here ⬇️

Thanks to all who joined us for our event and discussion on the transformative world of #Robotics. It was exciting to see such a great turnout and to connect with so many new faces passionate about shaping the future. Many thanks to Jeff Linnell, Jordan Sun, and Marin Tchakarov for sharing their insights and to Natasha Mascarenhas for facilitating such an engaging conversation.