SoftBank Investment Advisers

SoftBank Investment Advisers is a venture capital firm established in 2017 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates as a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. and specializes in growth capital and late-stage investments predominantly within the technology sector. The firm focuses on a diverse array of industries, including internet-of-things, artificial intelligence, robotics, telecommunications, computational biology, fintech, and digital financial services. With a preference for global investments, particularly in the United States, SoftBank Investment Advisers typically commits a minimum of $100 million to both minority and majority stakes in private and public companies. The firm is known for offering operational expertise and leveraging a vast global network, aiming to support innovative companies that have the potential to revolutionize their respective fields. It maintains additional offices in key locations such as Tokyo, San Francisco, and Singapore.

Karim Abouzahr

Director, SoftBank Europe Ventures

Lee Bocker

COO

John Cassidy

Investment Director, Life Sciences and HealthTech

Tom Cheung

Partner, Americas

Rodrigo Costa

Partner

Serena Dayal

Investment Director

Angela Du

Investor

Colin Fan

Managing Partner, Americas, Asia

Ted Fike

Director, Americas

Ronald Fisher

Executive Vice Chairman

Eric Gan

Executive Vice President

Navneet Govil

Managing Partner, CFO

Ayush Jain

Investment Vice President

Lydia Jett

Partner

Sumer Juneja

Partner and Head of India

Robert Kaplan

Investment Director

Hiroaki Kitano

SVP

Anna Lo

Director, Americas

Amit Lubovsky

Director, Americas

Jimi Macdonald

Director

Ken Miyauchi

Representative Director and Senior Executive Vice President

Greg Moon

Managing Partner, Asia

Akshay Naheta

Partner, EMEA

Karol Niewiadomski

Partner

Shu Nyatta

Managing Partner

Max Ohrstrand

Partner, EMEA

Vikas Parekh

Partner

Yanni Pipilis

Managing Partner

Narendra Rathi

Director, Asia

Saleh Romeih

Managing Partner, Investment Committee Member, SBIA, EMEA

David Thevenon

Partner

Ram Trichur

Partner

Ervin Tu

Partner, Americas

Munish Varma

Partner, EMEA, Asia

Aaron Wong

Vice President

Andrew Zloto

Investment Director

Tim Yap

Director, EMEA

Vishal Gupta

Director

Past deals in Automotive

Kavak

Private Equity Round in 2025
KAVAK is an online platform that facilitates the buying and selling of used cars, primarily in Latin America. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Mexico City, the company leverages real-time market data to provide sellers with fair offers for their vehicles, allowing transactions to be completed quickly and conveniently from home. KAVAK enhances the customer experience by offering services such as home delivery, vehicle collection, and pre-owned car financing, enabling users to navigate the car trading process with ease. The platform specializes in e-commerce within the automotive and retail sectors, making it a prominent player in the used car market.

Cubic Telecom

Acquisition in 2023
Cubic Telecom Limited is a Dublin-based company that specializes in cloud-based global connectivity and mobility solutions, particularly for the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. Its platform, known as PACE, supports real-time analytics and connectivity in over 190 countries, ensuring compliance with regional regulations. The company provides an embedded solution that facilitates software updates, telematics services, and location-based services for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and M2M service providers. Cubic Telecom's offerings include white label solutions, logistics, marketing, and customer care, enabling brands to deliver mobile connectivity products effectively. The company collaborates with notable clients such as Audi, Microsoft, and Volkswagen and has received significant funding from various investors, including Audi Electronics Venture GmbH and Qualcomm. Established in 2006, Cubic Telecom also has offices in San Francisco and Tokyo.

Rimac Group

Series D in 2022
Rimac is a technology powerhouse that manufactures electric hypercars and provides full technology solutions to global automotive manufacturers. Founded in 2009 with headquarters in Croatia, Rimac started as a garage project and grew into a globally recognized technology leader, built upon the passion and vision of the company's Founder and CEO Mate Rimac. It has challenged the status-quo with the vision to revolutionize and reinvent the sports car with its unique technology thus successfully tackling the electrification challenge set upon the automotive industry.

RightHand Robotics

Series C in 2022
RightHand Robotics, Inc. specializes in the manufacturing of robotic order-picking systems designed to enhance supply chain logistics and order fulfillment across various industries, including e-commerce, food handling, and flexible manufacturing. Founded in 2015, the company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Frankfurt, Germany. RightHand Robotics offers innovative solutions like the ReFlex SF, which features a 3D-printed palm equipped with advanced servos and compliant fingers, and the ReFlex TakkTile, a tactile sensor that aids in gentle object handling. Their technology enables robots to automatically grasp a wide range of items from bins and cases without the need for extensive data entry or parameter tuning, making their systems cost-effective and adaptable to changing business needs.

Platform Science

Series C in 2022
Platform Science, Inc. specializes in developing and integrating hardware and software solutions alongside IoT infrastructure for the transportation sector. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in La Jolla, California, the company offers a connected vehicle platform that provides essential telematics functionality, including applications for compliance, safety, and productivity. This platform supports dynamic hardware configurations and partner integrations, facilitating innovations within the ecosystem. Additionally, Platform Science provides fleet management applications that enhance compliance, improve driver experience, and optimize productivity. Operating as a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America, the company focuses on adapting its services to meet the evolving needs of the logistics industry and regulatory landscape.

CARS24

Series G in 2021
CARS24 Services Pvt. Ltd. is a company based in Gurugram, India, that specializes in buying and selling used cars through a network of channel partners across various cities. Founded in 2015, the company aims to transform the used car market by providing a tech-enabled marketplace that ensures an efficient and reliable selling experience for car owners. CARS24 employs an AI-enabled pricing algorithm to offer accurate market and appraisal prices, enhancing transparency in transactions. Additionally, the company provides car inspection and valuation services, facilitating secure sales for customers. CARS24 also operates a financial services division that offers vehicle lending products to enhance customer financing options.

Flock Freight

Series D in 2021
Flock Freight is reimagining and reinventing the freight industry by relentlessly eliminating inefficiency and waste through algorithmic pooling. Working at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and human-centric logistics management, Flock Freight tailors its shipping experience to meet your business’s needs. Flock Freight seamlessly pools any freight to find the perfect route, avoiding terminals and risky offloads so that a shipment travels safely and directly to its destination, damage-free. The result: on-time delivery with every shipment—guaranteed. With venture capital from Google Ventures and SignalFire, Flock Freight is one of the largest startups in San Diego, California. The company's team is obsessed with aggressively growing its customer base, constantly improving the technology platform, and delivering a superior customer experience. Flock Freight aims to fundamentally change the $60 billion LTL freight industry across North America with FlockDirect—one pooled shipment at a time.

Ola Electric

Series C in 2021
Ola Electric Mobility, founded in May 2017 by Ankit Jain and Anand Shah, is headquartered in Bengaluru, India. The company specializes in electric vehicles (EVs) and is focused on creating a vertically integrated ecosystem for manufacturing EVs and core components like battery packs, motors, and vehicle frames at its Ola Futurefactory. Ola Electric aims to enhance the adoption of electric mobility in India by providing reliable and affordable transportation solutions, including shared daily mobility through leasing electric cars. In addition to its domestic focus, the company is exploring opportunities to export its EVs to select international markets, aiming to capitalize on the growing demand for electrification in the mobility sector.

Kavak

Series E in 2021
KAVAK is an online platform that facilitates the buying and selling of used cars, primarily in Latin America. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Mexico City, the company leverages real-time market data to provide sellers with fair offers for their vehicles, allowing transactions to be completed quickly and conveniently from home. KAVAK enhances the customer experience by offering services such as home delivery, vehicle collection, and pre-owned car financing, enabling users to navigate the car trading process with ease. The platform specializes in e-commerce within the automotive and retail sectors, making it a prominent player in the used car market.

CARS24

Series F in 2021
CARS24 Services Pvt. Ltd. is a company based in Gurugram, India, that specializes in buying and selling used cars through a network of channel partners across various cities. Founded in 2015, the company aims to transform the used car market by providing a tech-enabled marketplace that ensures an efficient and reliable selling experience for car owners. CARS24 employs an AI-enabled pricing algorithm to offer accurate market and appraisal prices, enhancing transparency in transactions. Additionally, the company provides car inspection and valuation services, facilitating secure sales for customers. CARS24 also operates a financial services division that offers vehicle lending products to enhance customer financing options.

Cobli

Series B in 2021
Cobli is a FleetTech company focused on simplifying and enhancing fleet management. Founded by Parker Treacy and Rodrigo Mourad, Cobli has experienced over 100% annual growth and has expanded its workforce to more than 400 employees. The company has raised $45 million in funding, primarily from Softbank, and operates across Brazil, serving diverse industries such as telecommunications, transportation, energy, e-commerce, and construction. Cobli's platform leverages IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and video telemetry technologies to improve fleet efficiency. Its solutions are designed to reduce costs, enhance productivity, increase driver safety, ensure operational compliance, and elevate the customer experience. The company also specializes in vehicle tracking and provides tools for monitoring driver behavior, dynamic routing, and fraud prevention, addressing common challenges faced by fleet owners.

Netradyne

Series C in 2021
Netradyne Inc. is a technology company specializing in artificial intelligence-based fleet management solutions. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, California, with an additional office in Bengaluru, India, Netradyne focuses on enhancing fleet safety through advanced computer vision and data analysis. Its offerings include VisionPRO, an integrated vision safety system that utilizes multiple camera angles to monitor driving events, and Driveri, a platform that emphasizes recognizing and rewarding positive driver performance. By processing visual and sensory inputs across various industries, including automotive, agriculture, and construction, Netradyne aims to improve safety standards for commercial vehicles and reduce accidents. The company leverages advancements in camera technology, sensor costs, and deep learning to provide actionable insights that enhance fleet management and driver awareness.

GAIL

Series A in 2021
GAIL is a generative AI solution for insurance agencies. It provides a multilingual AI capable of communicating via speech, SMS, email, and WhatsApp. It also provides recordings, transcripts, analytics, and follows up with callers with any necessary deliverables.

Carro

Series C in 2021
Carro is an automotive marketplace that offers a full-stack service for all aspects of car ownership. It challenges the traditional way of buying and selling of cars through a proprietary pricing algorithm. Carro also provides a range of services that offer everything a car owner needs throughout their car ownership journeys such as an in-house financing solution warranty options and Singapore’s first on-demand roadside recovery platform. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Flock Freight

Series C in 2020
Flock Freight is reimagining and reinventing the freight industry by relentlessly eliminating inefficiency and waste through algorithmic pooling. Working at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and human-centric logistics management, Flock Freight tailors its shipping experience to meet your business’s needs. Flock Freight seamlessly pools any freight to find the perfect route, avoiding terminals and risky offloads so that a shipment travels safely and directly to its destination, damage-free. The result: on-time delivery with every shipment—guaranteed. With venture capital from Google Ventures and SignalFire, Flock Freight is one of the largest startups in San Diego, California. The company's team is obsessed with aggressively growing its customer base, constantly improving the technology platform, and delivering a superior customer experience. Flock Freight aims to fundamentally change the $60 billion LTL freight industry across North America with FlockDirect—one pooled shipment at a time.

AUTO1 Group

Convertible Note in 2020
AUTO1 Group GmbH is a technology-driven platform that facilitates the buying and selling of used cars, primarily operating in Europe and North America. Founded in 2012 and based in Berlin, the company connects individual consumers and professional dealers through its digital marketplace. AUTO1 Group sources its inventory from various channels, including original equipment manufacturers and dealerships, ensuring a diverse selection of certified vehicles. The company operates multiple business units, such as AUTO1.com and Autohero.com, and aims to provide a seamless trading experience without the need for negotiation. Its operations are divided into two segments: Merchant, which sells cars to commercial dealers, and Retail, focused on selling directly to private customers. With a presence in almost 30 countries, AUTO1 Group continues to expand its services in the used car market.

Didi Autonomous Driving

Venture Round in 2020
Didi Autonomous Driving offers autonomous driving research, development, product application, and technologies for automotive industry.

Fair

Debt Financing in 2019
Fair is a car leasing company headquartered in Santa Monica, California, founded in 2016. The company has developed a mobile application that facilitates vehicle leasing services, allowing users to shop for, get approved for, and pay for a car directly from their smartphones using only a driver's license and a bank account. Fair's platform offers customers the flexibility to choose their desired vehicle, select mileage options, and manage payments all within the app. This innovative approach embodies the car-as-a-service (CaaS) model, providing individuals with the freedom to drive the car they want for as long as they wish, while also allowing them the option to return the vehicle at any time without the long-term commitments typically associated with traditional vehicle financing or leasing.

OneWeb

Venture Round in 2019
OneWeb LLC is focused on developing a global communications network using a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access. Founded in 2012 and based in McLean, Virginia, the company aims to connect users worldwide, offering solutions for broadband, government, and cellular backhaul. OneWeb's network is designed to support various industries that depend on global connectivity, including aviation, maritime, automotive, and rail. The company began launching its satellite constellation in February 2019 and had deployed 74 out of the planned 648 satellites by March 2020. OneWeb's innovative approach to satellite communications enhances internet accessibility across the globe, addressing the growing demand for reliable connectivity.

Fair

Series B in 2018
Fair is a car leasing company headquartered in Santa Monica, California, founded in 2016. The company has developed a mobile application that facilitates vehicle leasing services, allowing users to shop for, get approved for, and pay for a car directly from their smartphones using only a driver's license and a bank account. Fair's platform offers customers the flexibility to choose their desired vehicle, select mileage options, and manage payments all within the app. This innovative approach embodies the car-as-a-service (CaaS) model, providing individuals with the freedom to drive the car they want for as long as they wish, while also allowing them the option to return the vehicle at any time without the long-term commitments typically associated with traditional vehicle financing or leasing.

Light

Series D in 2018
Light is a depth-sensing and perception technology company that provides automation solutions for automobiles.

AUTO1 Group

Series F in 2018
AUTO1 Group GmbH is a technology-driven platform that facilitates the buying and selling of used cars, primarily operating in Europe and North America. Founded in 2012 and based in Berlin, the company connects individual consumers and professional dealers through its digital marketplace. AUTO1 Group sources its inventory from various channels, including original equipment manufacturers and dealerships, ensuring a diverse selection of certified vehicles. The company operates multiple business units, such as AUTO1.com and Autohero.com, and aims to provide a seamless trading experience without the need for negotiation. Its operations are divided into two segments: Merchant, which sells cars to commercial dealers, and Retail, focused on selling directly to private customers. With a presence in almost 30 countries, AUTO1 Group continues to expand its services in the used car market.

Ola

Private Equity Round in 2017
Ola operates a mobile technology platform that integrates city transportation for customers and driver partners in India. Its mobile application allows its customers to book a range of cabs, auto-rickshaws, bikes, and shuttle buses. Ola's mobile application allows customers to book city taxi, outstation travel, car rental, and corporate travel services. Its mobile application is available on Windows, Android, and iOS platforms. Ankit Bhati and Bhavish Aggarwal founded Ola on December 1, 2010. It has its headquarters with additional offices in Bengaluru in India.

Nauto

Series B in 2017
Nauto, Inc. is an artificial intelligence technology company based in Palo Alto, California, specializing in software solutions for autonomous and commercial vehicles. Founded in 2015, Nauto develops an intelligent driver safety system that utilizes an after-market dual-camera device to collect and analyze visual data in real-time, aiming to reduce distracted driving and prevent collisions. This system includes features such as GPS, wireless connectivity, and night vision support, allowing fleet managers to monitor driver performance and vehicle safety effectively. Nauto also offers VERA (Vision Enhanced Risk Assessment), a scoring system that rates the frequency and severity of distracted driving incidents. The company collaborates with strategic partners including Allianz Insurance, Toyota, and BMW, and has expanded its presence with subsidiary locations in Dublin, Ireland, and Tokyo, Japan. Through its innovative technology, Nauto enhances safety and productivity for fleets while contributing to the advancement of self-driving technology.

Global Mobility Service

Series B in 2017
Global Mobility Service is a fintech company focused on providing lending services to underserved individuals globally, particularly low-income individuals seeking to purchase vehicles. The company specializes in mobility loans and leases, utilizing innovative technology to facilitate these financial services. By offering loans alongside IoT-based auto loan collection services, Global Mobility Service employs self-developed GPS-equipped devices installed in vehicles, which help streamline the loan repayment process. This approach enables low-income borrowers to access vehicle financing, empowering them to improve their mobility and quality of life.

OneWeb

Corporate Round in 2016
OneWeb LLC is focused on developing a global communications network using a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access. Founded in 2012 and based in McLean, Virginia, the company aims to connect users worldwide, offering solutions for broadband, government, and cellular backhaul. OneWeb's network is designed to support various industries that depend on global connectivity, including aviation, maritime, automotive, and rail. The company began launching its satellite constellation in February 2019 and had deployed 74 out of the planned 648 satellites by March 2020. OneWeb's innovative approach to satellite communications enhances internet accessibility across the globe, addressing the growing demand for reliable connectivity.

ACV

Series A in 2016
ACV Auctions, Inc. is a wholesale automotive auction company headquartered in Buffalo, New York, founded in 2014. It operates a mobile platform that facilitates online auctions for used-car dealers, allowing them to view, bid on, and purchase car inventory directly from other dealers. The platform provides a digital marketplace that streamlines the buying and selling process, offering real-time alerts for available vehicles and enabling live auction participation. Additionally, ACV Auctions offers a pricing application tailored for franchise dealers, enhancing the auction experience and providing transparent and accurate vehicle information to users.

Ola

Series F in 2015
Ola operates a mobile technology platform that integrates city transportation for customers and driver partners in India. Its mobile application allows its customers to book a range of cabs, auto-rickshaws, bikes, and shuttle buses. Ola's mobile application allows customers to book city taxi, outstation travel, car rental, and corporate travel services. Its mobile application is available on Windows, Android, and iOS platforms. Ankit Bhati and Bhavish Aggarwal founded Ola on December 1, 2010. It has its headquarters with additional offices in Bengaluru in India.

Kuaidi Dache

Series D in 2015
Kuaidi Group, as the most technologically integrated and largest car service company in the world, is rapidly transforming the concept of moving people – starting in China. The app combines integrated mapping and third party payment technology to make its service accessible to everybody, and provides over 1 million taxis and a variety of standard and luxury cars for all lifestyles. To ensure the service fits smoothly into urban life, Kuaidi has developed a framework is that is adaptable to other platforms in China, and works in partnership with China’s government and regulators instead of against them. In a country where only 18% of per capita car ownership, Kuaidi is clearly meeting an important need. Kuaidi’s unique business model has attracted 100m registered users in over 300 cities, fulfilling 6 million requests per day. To optimize its services and go beyond customer expectations Kuaidi has secured partnerships with Alipay, Ctrip, AutoNavi, Baidu Maps, Qunar, and Beijing’s ‘96106’ government official platform.

51 Auto

Venture Round in 2015
51Auto provides used car information listing services through both an online web site and offline magazine publications as the leading used car trading information platform in China.
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