automotive talent wars

Hi there,

In our first few weeks we have mainly focused on passenger cars, as both automakers and startups have made a stream of high-profile announcements related to connected cars and autonomous vehicles.

However, this newsletter will also explore how these trends will affect incumbents in two adjacent industries: transportation and logistics.

We dug into four startups working on the thorniest leg of the logistics chain: last-mile delivery. While many on-demand companies are already attacking last-mile inefficiencies, these startups seek to change the dynamic entirely with autonomous delivery drones, both on land and air. 

Big auto’s bets on the future

Among the investments mapped in our Business Social Graph are GM’s $500 million bet on Lyft and acquisition of Cruise Automation for over $1 billion. But other automakers and the venture arms of BMW, Volvo, and Chinese giant SAIC are also active in the private markets. 

Have a great rest of the week, everybody.

Kerry
@kerrygwu