Drive TLV

What does 2035 have in store for us? We closed out the second day of partners week with a packed ecosystem event cohosted by Drive TLV, The Drivery, and Honda Xcelerator Ventures. The event, “2035 Mobility” brought together two leading mobility ecosystems from Berlin and Tel Aviv including a full house of industry leaders, startups, and visionaries to explore how AI, software, and automation are transforming the future of mobility. The highlight of the evening was a keynote by Manuel Yoon, an expert in autonomous mobility and AI, who shared thought-provoking insights on where the industry is headed. It was a great evening, pushing the attendees to think outside the box, and engage in great conversations. Thank you to Manuel Yoon, Timon Rupp, Lisa Jeller, CMP, DES, and the Drivery team, Julien Fredonie, Honda Xcelerator Ventures, and our guests for making this evening come to life!

We are riding the momentum into Day 2! The morning of our second day was all about showcasing cutting-edge innovation. In the Garage of The Drivery—complete with an original DeLorean startups can use to test their technology—7 startups took the stage to present demos spanning a wide range of mobility technologies to dozens of executives representing our corporate partners. From cybersecurity to driverless cars, exoskeletons, VTOL aircrafts, tire technology, EV Batteries, and beyond, the demos highlighted just how diverse and transformative the future of smart and sustainable mobility will be. It was the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of the week by sparking exciting discussions. Thank you to the talented startups: Carrar | Whilx Technologies | Vay | Upstream Security | NEX | exoIQ | Calyo

We’ve touched down in snowy Berlin for Drive TLV Partners Week! Surrounded by fall colors and ready to ignite a week of innovation and creativity, we've brought together 14 Drive TLV corporate partners and dozens of startups from across the globe. We are creating a multi-national, smart and sustainable mobility community fueled by cutting-edge technology with a packed agenda filled with meetings and industry events. Day 1 set the tone with two tailored agendas, for startups and for partners: our partners explored the future of Software-Defined Vehicles through a keynote by Augustin Friedel 🚲 🛴 🛵 🚘, delved into AI and automation during breakout sessions, and even toured the city in iconic Trabi vehicles before coming together for a welcome dinner. Meanwhile, our startups dove into sessions on autonomous mobility, fleet management, AI regulations in Europe, and POC best practices—all while getting to know one another and ending the night with great conversations over drinks. This is just the beginning of a busy week filled with ideas, connections, and opportunities to shape the future of smart mobility.

This morning we celebrate another Fastlane Alum's successful round🥂 We’re thrilled to share that Kardome has closed a $10 million Series A funding round led by Korea Investment Partners, with support from notable VCs, Next Gear Ventures, Hyundai Motor Group, and others. This funding not only accelerates the development of Kardome’s innovative Spatial Hearing AI technology, redefining voice interactions, but also supports their expansion with a new headquarters in Seoul. This milestone marks a big step in advancing ambient audio computing, bringing responsive, context-aware voice technology to life. Kardome’s mission to revolutionize human-machine interaction continues with more growth, innovation, and partnerships on the horizon. Congratulations to Dani Cherkassky and the entire Kardome team on this incredible achievement!

♻ 🔋 The future of clean energy demands innovative battery recycling solutions. This week, we hosted Gil Barnea, CEO of BRI - Battery Recycling Israel, for an insightful knowledge session. Gil shared his expertise on climate change, the energy revolution, and the critical role of EV battery recycling. Recognizing an increasing future supply of Lithium-Ion batteries in Israel, Gil and his team began working on a local battery recycling solution, with support from our founding partner Mayer Cars & Trucks. Gil and his company BRI are leading the charge in creating a fully closed-loop supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. With their cutting-edge recycling facility underway, BRI is set to redefine responsible battery waste management in Israel. Thanks for a great knowledge session, Gil!

Are autonomous vehicles living up to the hype? Last week we were generously hosted by our partner, the AFIFI GROUP, to discuss the current and future status of the autonomous vehicle industry. The discussion began with opening remarks from Afif Afifi, CEO of the group who highlighted the importance of recognizing and adopting innovation within the corporation. Next, our Business and Research Analyst, Nadav Yetinson, shared insights from his research report on autonomous vehicles and the different directions the industry is headed towards. Shortly after, Eran Ofir, CEO of Imagry | Autonomous Driving (a portfolio company of Afifi), introduced the company and its revolutionary, safe, and innovative approach for self-driving technology with a special focus on autonomous busses. He also highlighted the adoption of Level 3 and 4 autonomy, its scalability, and its effects on industry players. With over 50 internal stakeholders from Afifi participating, the event fostered thought-provoking discussions, and to wrap it all up, they generously hosted our team for lunch. There is no substitute to visiting our partners face to face, and exploring firsthand where the smart and sustainable mobility industry is heading. A big thank you to our hosts, Afif Afifi, Ala`a Afifi, Abed el Hamid Fahoum, Tawfiq Afifi, Saleh Afifi, and Ghadir Biatra for organizing this amazing event.

🥂 Congratulations to Lidwave for raising $10 million! We’re thrilled to celebrate one of our FastLane alumni, Lidwave, for securing $10 million to further develop their groundbreaking on-chip 4D LiDAR technology. This round, led by Next Gear Ventures, and Jumpspeed Ventures, is pushing Lidwave closer to revolutionizing machine vision. Their 4D LiDAR chip sets a new standard for sensor performance while making advanced perception technology accessible to the mass market, enhancing safety and productivity across industries like autonomous vehicles and robotics. Great job to Yehuda Vidal and the Lidwave team! We’re proud to be part of your journey and look forward to your future accomplishments! https://lnkd.in/dGiDsEn5

Missed the latest trends in mobility? Our October edition of Drive Shift has just arrived, packed with insights to keep you informed on all things mobility. 👊 Which bold moves has Uber recently made? ♻ What's the plan for EV batteries after the ride? 🚜 Which off-road, AV sectors are thriving? Get the full scoop here: https://lnkd.in/ek6cCus7

Another “Acquired” sticker on the wall! 🥂 Today, we hosted a sticker ceremony for Autofleet, a FastLane alum that has been acquired for $110 million by Element Fleet Management, the world’s largest publicly traded automotive fleet management company. Founders Kobi Eisenberg, and Dor Shay, shared how Drive TLV was a home for them from the very inception of their idea, receiving close support from the Drive TLV and Next Gear Ventures teams. Their journey and hard work from concept to acquisition has been inspiring, and we’re honored to have been there from the beginning. Congrats to the Autofleet team, it was great to have you back in the office! Kobi Eisenberg | Dor Shay | Sima Megrel | Avital Michel-Meyer | Elad Mechlovich

How can you turn a POC into a long-term and successful relationship? Yesterday, we set out to answer this in our event co-hosted with Migdal Insurance and EcoMotion Community focusing on the best practices for startups and corporates to engage in successful POCs. The event started off with keynote speakers Yaron Flint and Nir Dashti offering valuable advice on working with large corporations and a guidebook to building out a successful POC. The event then continued with intimate breakout sessions spanning across 4 industries- Energy led by Doron Ariel Shpasser, OEMs led by Eyal Abramson, Insurance led by Moran Avnon and Logistics + Supply Chain led by Roy Avrahami, each providing tailored insights on best practices for startups and corporations working in their respective industries. Overall, it was a great event, and an excellent opportunity to bring startups, corporations, and the ecosystem together.