🎄 2024 in Review: From Lessons Learned to Opportunities Ahead

As we wrap up 2024, we can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey this year has been—one filled with valuable lessons, meaningful milestones, and opportunities that have pushed us to grow.

Dec 26, 2024

Welcome to The Paddock, your go-to place for the latest insights and trends revolutionizing the mobility sector globally. 🚗

— Curated by Rodolfo, Enrique, Gastón, Cecy, and Bernardo: the Proeza Ventures team. 💪

📌 Do you know a startup reshaping mobility by being more efficient, safer and environmentally friendly? We want to meet them! 📩

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🪩 Proeza Ventures Spotlight

🎅 Merry Christmas from our team to yours!

As we celebrate this season of joy and gratitude, we want to thank you for being a part of our journey this year. Here's to a holiday filled with happiness, and a 2025 full of possibilities! 🎄✨

Also last week, our Associate, Gaston Eguren, participated in the "Acelerando sueños: La visión de los fondos de capital" panel at Monterrey's entrepreneurship forum. Alongside leaders from Dalus Capital, CEMEX Ventures, Angel Hub, IGNIA Partners, and EON Corporation, Gaston shared insights on key lessons from 2024, practical advice for entrepreneurs navigating venture capital, and exciting opportunities we anticipate for 2025.

We’re proud to support Monterrey’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. A special thanks to Peak Nuevo León for organizing such an inspiring event. Here’s to fostering innovation and shaping the future! 🚀

🏆 Our PortCos News

🚛 Xos Trucks on Advancing Wireless Charging!

We’re proud to celebrate Xos partnership with Electreon and UPS to bring wireless charging to Michigan. Backed by Michigan’s Mobility Funding Platform, this collaboration highlights the seamless integration of wireless technology into fleet operations, setting a new standard for efficiency and innovation in EV charging. Kudos to Xos for driving the future of sustainable fleet solutions!

💳 Congratulations to Kigo on Their Partnership with Mastercard!

We’re thrilled to congratulate our portfolio company, Kigo, on their collaboration with Mastercard and Click to Pay. This innovative partnership brings a faster, simpler, and more secure payment experience to Kigo’s customers, elevating their offering and reinforcing their commitment to excellence. Kigo continues to lead the way in transforming user experiences—here’s to more milestones ahead!

🚌 Exciting News from BusUp!

Eva Romagosa, BusUp’s CSO and co-founder, took the stage at Tech Barcelona to participate in the "Catalonia Local Heroes" panel, where she discussed how BusUp is driving innovation in corporate mobility. Congratulations to Eva and the BusUp team for leading the conversation on the future of transportation!

🎁 2024 Year in Review: 15 Years of Mobility Innovation

Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen huge changes in mobility and technology, but the core need to move people and goods hasn’t changed. Back in 2010, we saw the first real push for Electric Vehicles (EVs), right when there was a lot of debate about the future of gas-powered cars and whether hydrogen, gas, or energy would take the lead. We also saw the beginning of Autonomy 1.0, with the first ideas of what autonomous vehicles could look like and when and where they might be used.

By the mid-2010s, ride-hailing, car-sharing, and subscription models completely changed how people moved around, making vehicle ownership more accessible, whether for personal use or as part of a job. Around 2015, software started to take the lead over hardware, with the introduction of sensors like LiDAR, radar, and cameras that made vehicles smarter and more connected. This shift didn’t just change the consumer experience but also digitized fleet management. At the same time, clean technology and smart cities began to take shape to meet global zero-net goals.

Between 2015 and 2020, micromobility really took off. Scooters, e-bikes, and other small vehicles became a popular choice, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last-mile delivery apps also grew in importance, keeping people connected while we all stayed indoors. Meanwhile, on the industrial side, automation, teleoperations, and IoT began transforming industries, making systems smarter and more connected.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re entering a new era led by AI. We expect the second wave of EVs and Autonomy 2.0 to take off, with smaller, more affordable vehicles speeding up the adoption of purpose-built autonomous vehicles (AVs). Industrial robotics and automation are also set to grow, with AI helping to overcome the talent shortage by training robots for more complex tasks. In the vehicle retail world, diagnostics and predictive maintenance will become digitized, using big data to make everything run more efficiently. And as more people adopt EVs, grid management and optimization will become critical to support the rise in energy demand, with AI and big data helping to manage energy use better.

Finally, supply chains are still facing disruptions, and there’s a bigger focus on visibility and flexibility. De-globalization and nearshoring are opening up new opportunities to create more adaptable and smarter systems.

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year with innovations that will reshape mobility, energy, and supply chains. We’re very excited to meet entrepreneurs who will continue to drive these progressions by creating smarter products and business models. Here’s to a future full of growth and innovation!

📯 Hot Deals

At Proeza VC we check many deals weekly. Here are the Top deals that caught our attention recently!

🚀 Airbag, a Mexica-based startup that helps transportation companies reduce fleet accidents, monitors drivers, rewards safe behavior, and gives fleet managers clear insights raised $0.75 million round from Impacta VC, Grupo Flecha Amarilla, Carabela Ventures and angel investors. (17.Dec.2024)

🚀 Ampeco, a Bulgaria-based EV charging management platform provider, raised $26 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Revaia with participation from Cavalry Ventures, BMW i Ventures, and LAUNCHub Ventures. (26.Nov.2024)

🚀 Ample, a San Francisco company that has built an EV charging system that allows EVs to receive a full charge in under five minutes by swapping out depleted batteries for fully charged ones, raised a $25 million round. Mitsubishi was the investor. (19.Nov.2024)

🚀 Bikmo, a UK-based provider of comprehensive insurance for bikes, gear and cyclists across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria raised £4.75 million to expand its European operations. (16.Dec.2024)

🚀 Boon, a San Francisco startup that develops AI-driven tools to automate fleet management operations, raised a $20.5 million Series A round from prior backers Marathon and Redpoint Ventures. (19.Dec.2024)

🚀 carbmee, a Berlin startup that helps companies with complex supply chains like Maersk and Coca-Cola measure, reduce, and report their carbon emissions, raised a $21 million Series A round led by CommerzVentures, with Fly Ventures also participating. (03.Dec.2024)

🚀 Class8, a Toronto-based data provider for the trucking business formerly named FleetOps, raised $22 million in Series A funding. Xplorer Capital led the round and was joined by Commerce Ventures and existing investors Inspired Capital and Resolute Ventures. (19.Nov.2024)

🚀 Cofactr, a New York City-based supply chain and logistics management platform for hardware manufacturers, raised $17.2 million in Series A funding. Bain Capital led the round and was joined by existing investors Y Combinator, Floating Point Ventures, Broom, and DNX. (12.Dec.2024)

🚀 EvenFlow AI, an Atlanta, GA-based company which specializes in AI-powered capacity and revenue optimization solutions for automotive dealership service departments, raised $1.5 million in Seed Funding. The round was led by Automotive Ventures and FM Capital. (05.Dec.2024)

🚀 Embotech, a Zurich based company focused on autonomous driving solutions for industrial logistics, raised 27 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Emerald Technology Ventures and Yttrium. (12.Dec.2024)

🚀 Flipturn, a NY-based electric vehicle (EV) charger and fleet management platform raised $11 million in a Series A round led by CRV with participation from Accel. (19.Nov.2024)

🚀 Iontra, a company based in Centennial, CO, that develops advanced battery charging technology that enhances the performance and lifespan of lithium and zinc batteries without requiring cell redesign, raised a $45 million Series C round. Volta Energy Technologies was the deal lead. (21.Nov.2024)

🚀 Juna.ai, a Berlin-based startup that develops AI agents that help factories monitor and optimize energy consumption in real-time, raised a $7.5 million seed round. Investors included Kleiner Perkins, Norrsken VC, and John Doerr. (18.Nov.2024)

🚀 KeySavvy, a Seattle, WA-based provider of a platform that simplifies and secures private-party car transactions, raised $4.25 million in funding. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures. Experian Ventures, Daher Investments and Founders’ Co-op all participated in the latest cycle of financing. (21.Nov.2024)

🚀 Kilter, a Norwegian startup that develops autonomous farming robots that use deep learning to identify and precisely target weeds with minimal herbicide application, raised a $9.5 million Series A round co-led by Pymwymic and Nufarm, with additional support from SBG Invest, Natural Ventures, and ProAgInvest. (28.Nov.2024)

🚀 Loadar, a Belfast startup whose software automates and optimizes transport procurement and management for shippers and carriers, raised a $4 million seed round led by Frontline Ventures, with existing investor Techstart Ventures also anteing up. (18.Dec.2024)

🚀 Mantis Robotics, a Pleasanton, CA-based Physical AI for robotic automation company, raised $5 million in funding. The round was led by Emerald Technology Ventures with participation from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. (19.Dec.2024)

🚀 OneRail, an Orlando-based omnichannel fulfillment solution provider, raised $42 million in Series C funding. Aliment Capital led the round and was joined by eGateway Capital, Florida Opportunity Fund, existing investors Arsenal Growth Equity, Piva Capital, Bullpen Capital, and others. (22.Nov.2024)

🚀 Orderful, a California-based integration platform for electronic data interchange for the logistics and supply chain sectors raised $15 million in a funding round led by NewRoad Capital Partners. (13.Nov.2024)

🚀 Picke Robots, a Cambridge, MA, startup that develops robots that automate the unloading of trucks and shipping containers, raised a $50 million Series B round. Investors included Teradyne Robotics Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Ranpak, Third Kind Venture Capital, One Madison Group, Hyperplane, and Catapult Ventures. (20.Nov.2024)

🚀 Prima, a Mexico-based manufacturing and supply chain integrator raised $42.5 million. Investors include Acrew, Nazca, and Quona Capital. (06.Dec.2024)

🚀 Reefilla, a Turin, Italy sstartup that develops mobile charging systems for electric vehicles and repurposes used EV batteries for energy storage, raised a $4.7 million round led by CDP Venture Capital, with HCapital, Azimut, Motor Valley Accelerator, and FinPiemonte also stepping up. (02.Dec.2024)

🚀 Revv, a NYC-based provider of a B2B SaaS business improving the auto repair industry with AI, raised $20 million in funding. The round was led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from Soma Capital, 1984, and Agalé Ventures. (20.Nov.2024)

🚀 Rhino, Brazilian startup focused on urban mobility with hybrid and electric armored vehicles for safety-conscious users, raised a $3.2 million seed round to expand operations in Brazil. The round was led by an undisclosed European investment fund, with participation from an angel syndicate from Dubai. (26.Nov.2024)

🚀 Slip, an Atlanta, GA-based provider of automated truck-loading robots-as-a-service, raised $28 million in Series B funding. The round was led by DCVC. (17.Dec.2024)

🚀 Starboard, a Toronto startup founded this year that develops AI-powered software to automate logistics operations for small and medium-size freight forwarders, raised a $5.5 million round led by Eclipse, with previous investors Garuda Ventures and Everywhere Ventures also stepping up. (17.Dec.2024)

🚀 Stella Automotive AI, a Florida-based provider of automotive artificial intelligence technology, announced a new round of convertible loan financing, which raised $11 million led by Reynolds and Reynolds with participation from existing investors, including more than 15 automotive dealership groups. (05.Dec.2024)

🚀 Teleo, a Palo Alto-based heavy equipment autonomous technology developer, raised $16.2 million in Series A extensions. UP.Partners led the $9.2 million first extension round and was joined by Trousdale Ventures, existing investor F-Prime Capital, and others. UP.Partners led the second extension round and was joined by Triatomic Capital, existing investors F-Prime Capital and Trucks Venture Capital, and others. (21.Nov.2024)

🚀 Tractian, an Atlanta-based startup that provides hardware and software tools that help factories monitor their machines to prevent unexpected breakdowns, raised a $120 million Series C round led by Sapphire Ventures, with additional participation from General Catalyst, Next47, and NGP Capital. (05.Dec.2024)

🚀 Vooma, a San Francisco, CA-based AI platform designed for freight brokers and carriers of all sizes, has raised $13 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Craft Ventures, with participation from Definition Capital, HOF Capital, Soma Capital, Operator Stack Fund, and Index Ventures. (03.Dec.2024)

🚀 WeaveGrid, a San Francisco startup whose platform is designed to assist utilities in managing EV charging demand and help EV owners charge their vehicles efficiently, raised a $28 million round led by Woven Capital, with previous investors Activate Capital, Collab Fund, Emerson Collective, and Salesforce Ventures also stepping up. (10.Dec.2024)

🚀 Zitara, a San Francisco-based provider of advanced battery controls software, has raised $17 million in Series A funding led by Salesforce Ventures, with contributions from Emerson Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, and Climate Capital. (05.Dec.2024)

📗 Interesting Reads

🚗 Amazon Launches Amazon Autos: A New Era in Online Car Sales

Amazon has officially entered the online car sales market with the launch of Amazon Autos, a platform allowing customers to search, finance, and purchase new vehicles from dealerships. Starting with Hyundai in 48 U.S. cities, the service offers a streamlined buying experience, including transparent pricing with no haggling, financing options, and e-signing capabilities.

While competing with platforms like AutoTrader and Carvana, Amazon Autos focuses solely on new cars, with plans to expand to more automakers and cities in 2025. The platform promises convenience and transparency, appealing to both automakers and customers looking for a hassle-free purchase process.

👉 Check the full note shared by TechCrunch here.

💔 GM Shuts Down Cruise Robotaxi Service to Focus on Personal AVs

General Motors (GM) has announced it will halt funding for its Cruise robotaxi service, following a $3.48 billion loss in 2023. The company will now focus on developing autonomous vehicles for personal use. Cruise employees will be reassigned to GM's advanced driver-assist teams. The decision comes after years of heavy investment and follows broader challenges in the autonomous vehicle sector. GM’s restructuring aims to save $1 billion annually as it shifts its resources toward cost-effective, consumer-focused solutions.

👉 For more information check out this The Verge article.