Motus Ventures, a Redwood City, CA-based seed stage venture capital fund and business accelerator investing in early stage businesses, launched the Motus Smart World Innovation Fund (SWIF).
Motus is targeting a total size of $30m for the Smart World Innovation Fund, its third vehicle.
The fund, formed in partnership with strategic investors including several leading global technology companies, and complemented by Motus’ membership and commercialization advisory role in the Stanford Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities Program, aims to help advance society and standards of living through:
– artificial intelligence (AI),
– robotics, and
– internet of things (IoT) technologies.
Motus, whose portfolio companies are eligible to participate in the Amazon Web Services Activate Program, has existing funds and expertise in the areas of:
– transportation,
– industrial robotics,
– semiconductor,
– mobile communications,
– smart cities,
– agriculture technology,
– logistics,
– commercial workspace management,
– security and surveillance, and
– related fields.
Led by Jim DiSanto, Managing Partner, Motus Ventures recently led or co-led financings in Toposens Gmbh, Kelzal Corp and MemryX. The portfolio also includes sensor technologies (Metawave and Quanergy), autonomous transportation providers (AuroRobotics/Ridecell and Locomation), security for connected vehicles (Argus Cyber Security), and agriculture technology (SlantRange, FarmX).
To date, Motus has or is commercializing technologies from Carnegie Mellon, PARC, University of California Berkeley, University of California San Diego, University of Michigan, Stanford, and Y-Combinator.
The firm has four operating partners, 12 equity-incentivized advisors, and 17 portfolio companies. It is also a venture capital affiliate of the Stanford Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities program.
Co-investors include AME Cloud Ventures, Bold Capital, eLAB Ventures, Allianz, Samsung Ventures, Continental, ARM Holdings, Ford Motor Company, Khosla Ventures, Denso, TRI Ventures, UL, Alrai Capital, Rising Tide Fund, SAIC Capital, and others.
FinSMEs
01/05/2019