In this episode, we catch up with Marcus Behrendt and Kasper Sage, Managing Directors of BMW i Ventures. BMW i Ventures has offices in San Francisco and Munich and invests in high-performance companies and helps them execute quickly by delivering agile precision ensuring real-world impact on hardware, software, sustainability across manufacturing, transportation, and services. Marcus and Kasper share insights on their successful investments and the future of mobility technology. They talk about the unique perspectives brought by their locations in Silicon Valley and Munich, the value of being affiliated with a large corporation, and the importance of sustainability in startup investments. The conversation also covers the challenges of innovation in the automotive industry, the investment decision-making process, and the differences between European and American startup ecosystems and much more.

Takeaways

1.Sustainability has to become the core value in evaluating startups.

2.The automotive industry requires a unique approach to innovation.

3.Successful startups often target multiple industries for scalability.

4.Late-stage funding is a significant challenge in Europe.

5.The European startup ecosystem needs to foster a more risk-taking attitude.

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