Maniv

#MobilityMonday: Amid growing signal interference, the US — inventor and custodian of GPS — is lagging behind other countries The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based radio-navigation system developed for the US Army in the 1970s that was freed from all civilian restrictions by the early 2000s. Today, GPS is still owned by the US Government and operated by the United States Air Force. Most notably, GPS signals are critical to modern navigation and can pinpoint any 3D position to meter-level accuracy and time to the 10-nanosecond level (https://lnkd.in/dkMvMrfe). But GPS isn’t just used for mapping and navigation; it’s also used to synchronize computer systems, which has major ramifications on financial trading, data centers, and more. For these reasons and more, the increasing disruptions to the GPS network should be of major concern. Especially in the past two years, GPS jamming and spoofing (the once-rare practice of sending false location signals making someone think they are somewhere else) have been used for both offensive and defensive purposes (see https://bit.ly/3zv1bSp). Amid the war in Ukraine, Russia has interrupted GPS services in Eastern Europe and the Baltics (see https://lnkd.in/dsHmKaNh). In Israel, the Israel Defense Forces has jammed and spoofed GPS signals to disrupt guided munitions launched by Hezbollah and Hamas (see https://lnkd.in/dSM3J-Qj). And GPS interference has major effects on the modern economy outside of military uses. In the first half of 2024, more than 60k commercial flights have been hit by spoofed GPS signals. A UK study reported that a 5-day disruption of satellite signals could cost that country alone losses of more than $6B (see https://bit.ly/3XSHPAQ). Despite these threats, GPS satellites are getting old, with many far past their intended lifespan of 8-15 years. The United States Space Force's recent request for a $77M allocation to reinforce GPS against spoofing attacks was blocked by Congress (see https://lnkd.in/d7WzMuTj) In their stead, other countries are developing their own, more sophisticated alternatives: the European Galileo system requires signal authentication and China’s Beidou system has the most satellites in orbit for a GNSS system. For better or for worse, Russia’s GLONASS system is becoming just as outdated as the US’s GPS (see https://yhoo.it/3XPun0L). Given the US Government’s dawdling when it comes to GPS upgrades, corporates and startups are increasingly developing backup capabilities that protect the integrity of global navigation and location services. Without a concerted effort by US governmental authorities to revitalize GPS and protect its usage, others will fill the void, so we should all hope they will be benevolent players. #GPS #GNSS #satellite #navigation #jamming #spoofing #NASA

Check out this interview by Oana Duma, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory, together with Zingha Lucien, Director of Strategic Advisory Services at Element Fleet Management, for the edition of the podcast from Maniv, a global company that invests in early stage technology startups that are transforming the economy of movement. 🚲   Within this interview, Oana gives us some key insights about the relationship between employees and mobility. She explains how to offer new mobility solutions to employees by many different ways which can be bikes, cars, private leases and others. With today innovations in terms of mobility, providing to employees and customers new solutions is in everyone's hands. 🙌   You can discover the complete version of podcast on the following link: https://lnkd.in/d3jcjtPu   #SustainableMobility #Arval #ArvalMobilityObservatory

🚨🎙Have you ever wondered about the secret lives of commercial vehicles? Yes, they carry our things and our friends, but what might a combined fleet of 3.2m of them have to add to the story? Oana Duma and Zingha Lucien join Anything That Moves for a journey through Arval BNP Paribas Group and Element Fleet Management’s annual Barometer Report. Why has the electrification of commercial vehicles lagged passenger vehicle electrification? For the answers to this question, what to make of telematics data, and more, have a listen: https://lnkd.in/d3jcjtPu #electricvehicles #fleet #things #friends

#MobilityMonday: Northvolt’s trials and tribulations expose the growing pains of complex, capital-intensive electrification projects Northvolt has long been the poster child of the European energy transition. Founded in 2015 by two former Tesla executives, the company currently has three battery gigafactories in operation, with another four in construction and development. In January, Northvolt secured $5B in the form of the “largest green loan raised in Europe”, bringing its total equity and debt financing to more than $15B (see https://lnkd.in/dchir9tN). On top of that, the company has received purchase orders valued at more than $55B, including BMW Group, Scania Group, Volvo Cars, and Volkswagen Group. But despite a robust financing history and order book, recent developments at Northvolt illustrate just how difficult it is to scale a battery manufacturing facility to commercial viability. On June 20, it was reported that BMW canceled a €2B order for battery cells and that Samsung SDI would step in to fill in the order (see https://lnkd.in/dnyTySwd). Just a week earlier, it was also reported that delayed EV battery cell orders caused production timelines for Scania trucks to be pushed back (see https://lnkd.in/dGxvYPZb). Northvolt isn’t alone when it comes to the growing pains of Western gigafactories. Earlier this month, ACC - Automotive Cells Company — a Mercedes-Benz Vans USA and Stellantis supplier — halted construction of two of its three planned gigafactories (see https://lnkd.in/dd_siezm). Last fall, VW’s PowerCo delayed plans for a fourth gigafactory due to sluggish EV demand (see https://lnkd.in/dvghA8S2). Although Germany approved nearly a billion dollars in state funding for a domestic Northvolt gigafactory, that pales in comparison to other state-backed gigafactory support (see https://lnkd.in/dav3b67M). CATL was founded in 2011 and is now the largest EV battery maker in the world, having benefitted from billions of dollars in Chinese state subsidies since its inception (see https://lnkd.in/d5J_cHTc). As demand for battery cells continues to grow exponentially, newer Western battery makers like Northvolt will continue to face ramp-up issues as they try to catch up with legacy incumbents like LG Energy Solution and Samsung. Billions of dollars can’t replace years of manufacturing and human capital experience, though they can certainly try and expedite the learning curve amid the Great Onshoring. #battery #gigafactory #Northvolt #EV #BMW #Scania #Volvo #Volkswagen #LG #Samsung

What an incredible evening! 🌟 Last week we partnered with Maniv, Shell Ventures, and WEX Venture Capital for our annual post MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined cocktail evening. With the terrace bathed in sun, we welcomed over 150 investors and founders, all passionate about driving innovation in mobility, climate, industrial, and enterprise tech. June is always an incredibly busy month, so it was nice to take a minute to reflect on the year to date and reconnect with old friends from across the world. This gathering was our best yet, filled with meaningful conversations, new connections, and shared visions. Importantly, the confidence and energy from all parts of the ecosystem has left us feeling excited for the future. We’re already looking forward to the next post-Move event. If you’re interested in joining, let us know! #VentureCapital #Networking #Innovation

It gives me great pleasure to let you know that at last week’s annual partnership meeting, Maniv announced the elevation of Meir Dardashti to Partner in the fund. For nearly five years, Meir has been integral to Maniv’s success and growth. He came to us with a background in corporate innovation, but rapidly mastered the peculiar universe of venture capital, along with our own special flavor of that universe, innovation around the movement of people and goods. Meir is a consummate professional, playing a key role in executing investments, closely supporting portfolio companies, and mentoring younger colleagues, but has also occasionally been known to rearchitect our office network when frustrated by latency. Meir’s initiative and entrepreneurial spirit have become a driving force within Maniv – he is the innovator behind and insightful host of Maniv’s “Anything That Moves” in-house podcast, That spirit persists in times of crisis as well; in the months after October 7, it was Meir who took the initiative to set up a breathtaking operation that ultimately procured emergency supplies for 330 communities in Israel. Meir’s most important contribution to the Maniv family, though, has been himself. He is unceasingly kind, uncommonly humble, characterized by a distinct, quite often self-deprecatory sense of humor that disarms even the most jaded executive.  In no small measure, the Maniv culture which is central to our success, is attributable to Meir’s character. Please join us in congratulating Meir on this milestone. We look forward to many more years of working with Meir in his new capacity.

Have EVs reached a tipping point towards inevitability? Where are the remaining pockets of resistance to mainstreaming electrification? Will the remaining issues be ironed out in short order? Or are there more structural and formidable factors at play? Is Total Cost of Ownership a flawed framework for thinking about commercial vehicle procurement? And what could derail the train? The entire Maniv team just returned from a weeklong trip to the UK, where we hosted our Annual General Meeting outside of Israel for the first time, followed by two days at MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined UK and then a team offsite to reflect. Against the history-rich backdrop of The Goodwood Group Estate – home of the Goodwood Festival of Speed – we gathered 60 of our close partners from 10 countries to chart forward a new era of interdisciplinary investing across the transportation and industrial value chains. This year’s theme – “Cycles and Trends in Electrification.” Highlights included a fireside chat with Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley about the future of American automotive might, a discussion with a leading rental executive about lessons from the world’s largest EV experiment, and a politics masterclass from EV Politics Project CEO Michael E. Murphy And together with our partners InMotion Ventures, WEX Ventures, and Shell Ventures, we wrapped up an event-filled week with a lively cocktail in London, convening the movers and shakers of the transportation ecosystem. See you next year!

#MobilityMonday: Maniv gathers ecosystem partners in the English countryside to tackle electrification This week, the Maniv team is gathering with over 50 of our corporate, institutional, industry, and portfolio partners from around the world for our annual general meeting. Due to the limitations posed by the war in Israel, we're hosting this year not on our home turf, but at The Goodwood Group Estate in the lovely countryside of West Sussex in the UK. Home of the renowned annual Goodwood Festival of Speed — set to be held this year in just a few weeks' time — it only made sense to gather the Maniv network here amidst the rich automotive history that the Goodwood Estate holds. Against the backdrop of this year's theme in "Cycles and Trends in Electrification," we aim to make sense of the dynamic generational shift that is the EV transition. Our partners represent carmakers, parts suppliers, infrastructure companies, commercial and passenger fleets, energy players, and more, and the first-, second-, and third-order effects of vehicle electrification affect their respective business lines and products for years to come. Here's to the coming days of new and old connections, mutual learnings, and progress toward electrification! #EV #electrification #Goodwood #annualmeeting

We're proud to share a glimpse inside our new 165,000 sq ft facility, where we're building the future of electric medium-duty transportation. Every battery pack, drivetrain, and chassis assembled here represents our commitment to a greener future. Watch the full facility tour on our website: https://bit.ly/3KJvmba #CleanTransportation #EVRevolution #Sustainability #EVs