How to Invest in the Future of Mobility with Jim Adler of Toyota Ventures

GUEST: Jim Adler, Toyota Ventures

About this episode

The evolution of mobility, and the rising importance of software and services are having a massive impact on the way automakers think and operate. So much so, in fact, that they know they need to offer more than just a century’s expertise in mechanical engineering and manufacturing - and that means tapping into the world of start-ups.

That’s why corporate venture capital is now an established part of the automotive industry, and most major automakers now operate investment divisions, such as BMW i Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover InMotion Ventures, and Porsche Ventures.

We recently had the opportunity to sat down with Jim Adler, the managing director and founder of Toyota‘s standalone early-stage venture capital firm, Toyota Ventures.

Jim and his team at Toyota Ventures are interested in AI and autonomy, mobility-robotics, cloud, smart cities, digital health, fintech, energy, and materials, and they have a significant interest in climate.

The portfolio of over 40-companies includes May Mobility, Perceptive Automata, and Burro, a maker of fruit harvesting robots. Toyota Ventures was also an early investor in Joby Aviation, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2021.

This interview was recorded "out in the wild," hence the presence of some background noise, but it doesn't detract from the conversation and the excellent insight that Jim had to share.

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn