During this episode, Santosh is joined by Jake Wieseneck, Principal at Maniv, a venture capital firm focused on mobility and transportation technologies. Jake shares insights into Maniv's investment strategy, emphasizing their focus on decarbonization and the digitization of transportation. The conversation also explores emerging trends in AI, particularly its application in verticalized industries like maintenance, freight, and manufacturing. Key discussions include the evolving Series A fundraising landscape, the importance of domain expertise in AI applications, and the potential transformation of automotive OEMs. Jake highlights the firm's approach to investing in companies with clear cost imperatives and multiple business model pathways, while also providing a bold prediction that automotive companies will become broader technology providers by the end of the decade. Don’t miss this conversation! 

Highlights from their conversation include:

• Jake’s Background and Path to Mobility Investing (1:09)
• Maniv’s Investment Strategy and Industry Partnerships (3:34)
• Bidirectional Value with Strategic Partners (6:02)
• Current Market Dynamics and Exciting Trends (8:08)
• AI and Mobility: Investment Focus Areas (9:45)
• Series A Market Expectations and Guidance (11:27)
• Optionality and Transparency for Founders (13:23)
• Investor-Founder Alignment and Board Dynamics (18:22)
• Defensibility and Moats in AI-Driven Businesses (20:23)
• Distribution, Data, and Domain as Competitive Advantages (22:19)
• Decarbonization and Electrification Investment Approach (27:28)
• Bold Predictions for the Automotive Industry (30:22)
• Rapid Fire Segment to Closs (31:31)

Dynamo is a VC firm led by supply chain and mobility specialists that focus on seed-stage, enterprise startups.

Find out more at: https://www.dynamo.vc/