BMW i Ventures

BMW i Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of BMW Group, based in Mountain View, California, with offices in San Francisco and Germany. It makes Series A and B investments in automotive technology and related areas worldwide, focusing on transportation, energy, information technology, mobility, SaaS, manufacturing, and sustainability. The firm seeks opportunities that can influence BMW's current and future businesses across manufacturing, services, and mobility, including hardware, software, and digital platforms. Investments span the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel.

Marcus Behrendt

Managing Partner

Baris Guzel

Partner

Michael Hammer

CFO

Uwe Higgen

Managing Director and Managing Partner

Samantha Huang

Principal

Past deals in Germany

DeepDrive

Series B in 2024
DeepDrive is a Munich-based company specializing in innovative drive units for electric vehicles. Its patented DeepDrive Dual Rotor technology enhances vehicle range by up to 20% and reduces costs, facilitating cheaper, more sustainable EVs. The compact, torque-dense units can be integrated within wheels or as traditional central drives, optimized for large-scale production. Collaborating with eight of the top ten automakers, DeepDrive aims to introduce its technology in mass production by 2026.

Recogni

Series C in 2024
Founded in 2017, Recogni specializes in developing AI-based inference processing solutions. It offers high-performance, low-power processors for generative AI and intelligent autonomous platforms, serving automotive industries in Germany and the US.

DeepDrive

Series A in 2023
DeepDrive is a Munich-based company specializing in innovative drive units for electric vehicles. Its patented DeepDrive Dual Rotor technology enhances vehicle range by up to 20% and reduces costs, facilitating cheaper, more sustainable EVs. The compact, torque-dense units can be integrated within wheels or as traditional central drives, optimized for large-scale production. Collaborating with eight of the top ten automakers, DeepDrive aims to introduce its technology in mass production by 2026.

actnano

Venture Round in 2022
actnano Inc. is a nanotechnology company that specializes in developing, manufacturing, and supplying advanced coating solutions for the automotive and consumer electronics sectors. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional offices in Shenzhen, Germany, and South Korea, actnano focuses on creating wet ANG coatings designed to protect electronic devices and manufacturing environments from water damage and harsh environmental conditions. Their technology includes a range of transparent nano guard coatings that can be applied post-manufacturing, enhancing devices' water resistance to IPx7 levels. This approach allows clients to effectively integrate the protective coatings into existing production lines, ensuring durability and longevity in their electronic products.

Synera (ex-ELISE)

Series A in 2022
ELISE GmbH, established in 2018 as a spin-off from the Alfred-Wegener-Institute, is based in Bremerhaven, Germany. The company specializes in software development aimed at enhancing the product development process for engineers. Its innovative platform enables users to visually create comprehensive workflows for automated product development, integrating established modeling and simulation tools with Generative Design. This approach allows engineers to efficiently design the technical DNA of their products, streamlining the entire development cycle.

HeyCharge

Seed Round in 2022
Founded in Munich, Bavaria in 2020, HeyCharge specializes in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The company offers affordable, secure, and scalable EV chargers that operate without internet connections, integrating seamlessly with third-party products for smart charging services.

actnano

Series B in 2021
actnano Inc. is a nanotechnology company that specializes in developing, manufacturing, and supplying advanced coating solutions for the automotive and consumer electronics sectors. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional offices in Shenzhen, Germany, and South Korea, actnano focuses on creating wet ANG coatings designed to protect electronic devices and manufacturing environments from water damage and harsh environmental conditions. Their technology includes a range of transparent nano guard coatings that can be applied post-manufacturing, enhancing devices' water resistance to IPx7 levels. This approach allows clients to effectively integrate the protective coatings into existing production lines, ensuring durability and longevity in their electronic products.

GaN Systems

Venture Round in 2021
GaN Systems develops and manufactures gallium nitride power switching transistors for various applications. Its products include 650 V E-HEMT and 100 V E-HEMT transistors, serving consumer brand and enterprise equipment manufacturers globally.

Recogni

Series B in 2021
Founded in 2017, Recogni specializes in developing AI-based inference processing solutions. It offers high-performance, low-power processors for generative AI and intelligent autonomous platforms, serving automotive industries in Germany and the US.

DSP Concepts

Series B in 2020
DSP Concepts Inc. is a leading provider of audio development tools and intellectual property for creators of audio-enabled products, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with additional offices in Massachusetts, Germany, and China. The company's flagship product, Audio Weaver, is a cross-platform audio-processing engine that simplifies audio innovation by allowing engineers to rapidly prototype and modify designs across teams. DSP Concepts also offers TalkTo, a suite of proprietary machine learning and microphone processing algorithms designed to enhance audio clarity in noisy environments. Their technology supports multiple audio input and output streams, making it suitable for diverse applications, including automotive systems, soundbars, smart speakers, and IoT devices. Through design and consulting services, DSP Concepts assists in automotive audio design, system architecture, and custom protocol development, enabling developers to bring their products to market efficiently while minimizing risks. Their solutions are utilized by renowned brands across various sectors, ensuring a remarkable audio experience in countless consumer and automotive products.

Synera (ex-ELISE)

Seed Round in 2019
ELISE GmbH, established in 2018 as a spin-off from the Alfred-Wegener-Institute, is based in Bremerhaven, Germany. The company specializes in software development aimed at enhancing the product development process for engineers. Its innovative platform enables users to visually create comprehensive workflows for automated product development, integrating established modeling and simulation tools with Generative Design. This approach allows engineers to efficiently design the technical DNA of their products, streamlining the entire development cycle.

Recogni

Series A in 2019
Founded in 2017, Recogni specializes in developing AI-based inference processing solutions. It offers high-performance, low-power processors for generative AI and intelligent autonomous platforms, serving automotive industries in Germany and the US.

ChargePoint

Series H in 2018
ChargePoint operates the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, offering public charging stations, consumer subscription plans, and utility grid management technology. Its app enables users to find, start, and track charging sessions.

caroobi

Series B in 2018
Caroobi GmbH, established in 2015 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, operates as an integrated marketplace for automotive aftersales services. The company specializes in streamlining the repair experience for customers by offering a wide range of car repair services and replacement parts through its network of workshops. These services include transmission repair, engine and cylinder head gasket replacement, motor services, inspection and quality checks, gear repair, turbocharger and coupling changes, timing belt and chain replacement, and car wrapping. Caroobi also provides auto parts such as engine exchange parts, transmission replacement parts, and turbocharger exchange parts. The company's platform enables users to book these services at transparent and fixed prices, aiming to revolutionize the automotive aftersales industry across Europe and beyond. As of June 15, 2020, Caroobi operates as a subsidiary of Deutsches Werkstattnetz GmbH.

GaN Systems

Corporate Round in 2017
GaN Systems develops and manufactures gallium nitride power switching transistors for various applications. Its products include 650 V E-HEMT and 100 V E-HEMT transistors, serving consumer brand and enterprise equipment manufacturers globally.

DSP Concepts

Series A in 2017
DSP Concepts Inc. is a leading provider of audio development tools and intellectual property for creators of audio-enabled products, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with additional offices in Massachusetts, Germany, and China. The company's flagship product, Audio Weaver, is a cross-platform audio-processing engine that simplifies audio innovation by allowing engineers to rapidly prototype and modify designs across teams. DSP Concepts also offers TalkTo, a suite of proprietary machine learning and microphone processing algorithms designed to enhance audio clarity in noisy environments. Their technology supports multiple audio input and output streams, making it suitable for diverse applications, including automotive systems, soundbars, smart speakers, and IoT devices. Through design and consulting services, DSP Concepts assists in automotive audio design, system architecture, and custom protocol development, enabling developers to bring their products to market efficiently while minimizing risks. Their solutions are utilized by renowned brands across various sectors, ensuring a remarkable audio experience in countless consumer and automotive products.

caroobi

Series A in 2017
Caroobi GmbH, established in 2015 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, operates as an integrated marketplace for automotive aftersales services. The company specializes in streamlining the repair experience for customers by offering a wide range of car repair services and replacement parts through its network of workshops. These services include transmission repair, engine and cylinder head gasket replacement, motor services, inspection and quality checks, gear repair, turbocharger and coupling changes, timing belt and chain replacement, and car wrapping. Caroobi also provides auto parts such as engine exchange parts, transmission replacement parts, and turbocharger exchange parts. The company's platform enables users to book these services at transparent and fixed prices, aiming to revolutionize the automotive aftersales industry across Europe and beyond. As of June 15, 2020, Caroobi operates as a subsidiary of Deutsches Werkstattnetz GmbH.

ChargePoint

Series G in 2017
ChargePoint operates the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, offering public charging stations, consumer subscription plans, and utility grid management technology. Its app enables users to find, start, and track charging sessions.

ChargePoint

Series E in 2014
ChargePoint operates the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, offering public charging stations, consumer subscription plans, and utility grid management technology. Its app enables users to find, start, and track charging sessions.

ChargePoint

Series D in 2012
ChargePoint operates the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, offering public charging stations, consumer subscription plans, and utility grid management technology. Its app enables users to find, start, and track charging sessions.
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