In this episode, we catch up with Marcus Behrendt and Kasper Sage, Managing Directors of BMW i Ventures. With offices in San Francisco and Munich, BMW i Ventures invests in high-performance companies, helping them execute swiftly with agile precision to deliver real-world impact across hardware, software, and sustainability in manufacturing, transportation, and services.
Marcus and Kasper share insights into their successful investments and the future of mobility technology. They discuss the unique perspectives offered by their locations in Silicon Valley and Munich, the benefits of being affiliated with a large corporation, and the critical role of sustainability in startup investments. The conversation also explores the challenges of innovation in the automotive industry, their investment decision-making process, the differences between European and American startup ecosystems, and much more.
Video version of episode 97:
Audio version of episode 97:
Kew takeaways
- Sustainability has to become the core value in evaluating startups
- The automotive industry requires a unique approach to innovation.
- Successful startups often target multiple industries for scalability.
- Late-stage funding is a significant challenge in Europe.
- The European startup ecosystem needs to foster a more risk-taking attitude.
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