InMotion Ventures

UNCAGED Innovations have won the sustainability category at the Hustle Awards 🎉 Organised by Startups Magazine, the awards recognise the most #innovative and disruptive #startups across 12 different categories. The judges were impressed by the unique approach and huge growth potential of Uncaged, tipping them for big things in the future. Congratulations to Stephanie Downs and the entire UNCAGED #team. See the full list of winners below 👇 https://lnkd.in/e5TgipTr #HustleAwards #Sustainability #Biomaterials

Last month we announced our first foray into space by welcoming CesiumAstro to the portfolio 🛰️ This investment is a perfect example of how we've adjusted our thesis to focus on cross-industry technologies that will be critical to the new age of OEM innovation. Today, William M. and Oliver F. explore the reasons behind our decision to back Shey and his exceptional team. Head to the link below to discover why we're so excited about CesiumAstro's unique approach: https://lnkd.in/ekzJHT36 #Space #Communication #Satellites

A year of learning at InMotion Ventures 💡 Last year, Mike Smeed joined Fernando Moncada Rivera on the #CVC Unplugged Podcast to reflect on his first year as Managing Director. One year on, and Mike and Fernando have caught up again: this time to talk about how he and the team have applied the lessons of the first 12 months to his second year in charge. Over the course of the episode Mike explains: 🎯 Why we've reset our thesis to focus on early stage climate, industrial, and enterprise tech 🤝 How our new approach has directly impacted the way our portfolio are working with JLR 🇺🇸 The stark differences in CVC funding between the US and the UK, particularly in the growth stages ⛰️ The challenges of pairing the capabilities of exceptional entrepreneurs with the ambitions of the parent company 💡 The importances of finding your niche within a small team, and over-indexing on the value you create 🚀 Why a structured platform offering is now an essential component of all corporate venturing units 🇪🇺 Our commitment to investing in France and Germany in the next 12 months Head to the link below for the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eFR22vZK #CVC #Investing #VentureCapital #Innovation

As the funding environment for #startups remains challenging, corporate venture capital (#CVC) has become an attractive option for many #founders: particularly those prioritising investors with domain expertise, relevant networks, and a tangible ‘value add’. A recent report from Mountside Ventures and Love Ventures revealed that 1 in 4 deals today involve corporate money, compared to only 1 in 10 the previous decade. But when might CVC be the wrong option for founders? Our Managing Director, Mike Smeed, has shared four reasons to pass on strategic capital: 🚧 You lack alignment 💭 You don't believe that the house always wins 🏃♀️You're pushed for time ➡️ Your sole ambition is exiting to the parent company Head to the link below for the full piece in Sifted; https://lnkd.in/eTq5YaDu #Entrepreneur #Funding #Innovation #Investment #MandA #Technology #VentureCapital #VC

At last week's Future Fabrics Expo, Stephanie Downs spoke to Vogue Business about her experience as CEO and co-founder of UNCAGED Innovations. On the challenges of scaling a bio-leather business, Stephanie explained how investors are taking a cautious approach to funding the sector. VCs now expect to see proof that brands are committed to working with next-gen materials startups before they participate in a round. This is a challenge that UNCAGED Innovations recently overcame, with the team announcing an oversubscribed Seed round earlier this week. Head to the link below for the full article by Bella Webb: https://lnkd.in/eBNy3FvH #Materialinnovation #Investment #Sustainability

UNCAGED Innovations aren't slowing down in their mission to disrupt every industry that relies on leather. The team have secured $5.6M in Seed funding, with the oversubscribed round coming off the back of an impressive year for Stephanie and the team. The investment was co-led by Green Circle Foodtech Ventures and Fall Line Capital, with participation from Ponderosa Ventures, Golden Seeds, and InMotion Ventures. Congratulations to everyone at Uncaged. We're proud to continue our support of this exceptional team and technology. Read more on Business Insider: https://lnkd.in/e7Ah7wh4

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

We are thrilled to announce that our Managing Director, Mike Smeed, has been recognised on this year's Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist. 🥇 The list is a reflection of the industry #leaders who are shaping the #corporate #venturing landscape. Since joining InMotion Ventures, Mike has spearheaded the restructuring of our investment thesis and operating model, leading us into our busiest and most successful period yet. Under Mike's leadership, the team have completed x 4 more deals compared to the two years prior to his arrival, with 90% of our portfolio companies now actively engaged with JLR. Powerlist selection was based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative metrics, including no. of investments, successful exits, team composition, strategic approach, and community involvement. Congratulations to Mike and all the other leaders recognised this year. Head to the link below for the full profile. https://lnkd.in/dBKqVsav #GCVPowerlist #Powerlist #CVC

Announcing our latest investment and our first foray into space. 📡 Welcome to the portfolio, CesiumAstro. Resilient and secure data links are the foundation of many next-generation technologies. As vehicles become increasingly software defined, low orbit satellites (LEOs) will act as a critical enabler of OEM innovation. CesiumAstro are democratising access to the full potential of LEOs with their full-stack phased array offering. With a unique, modular approach, Shey Sabripour and his team build mission-specific, scalable, phased array payloads for any application, objective and industry. Put simply, Cesium are bringing space communications technology to the masses. This round was led by Trousdale Ventures , with participation from Development Bank of Japan Inc., Quanta Computer Inc. 廣達電腦, Kleiner Perkins, InMotion Ventures, L3Harris Technologies, Matter Venture Partners and Mesh Ventures. Congratulations to the team for a substantial raise in challenging market conditions. This is a perfect example of how we’ve adjusted our thesis to focus on cross-industry technologies with strong automotive applications. We look forward to supporting the team as they expand their operations, both domestically and internationally https://lnkd.in/e6jWwmXb

Next week we'll be speaking at the Global Corporate Venturing symposium alongside three of our early-stage portfolio companies: Verax AI, UNCAGED Innovations and ChipFlow. Ahead of our session, Mike Smeed sat down with Kim Moore to discuss why we adjusted our thesis, and what we're looking for as we continue to deploy capital at the early-stage.