This social graph from CB Insights is a great way to determine investment patterns and innovation trends in the auto manufacturing industry.
New disruptive innovations range from technologies covering the personalised mobile space as part of smart city initiatives, driver analytics, on-board visual insights, optimised parking, sensor-based location management, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency.
One thing you do not get from the graph though is the impact of all these innovations on the overall automotive value chain and other industries involved across that value chain. Understanding these interconnections will be key to make the overall ecosystem work besides manufacturing tech-enabled products and pushing startup investment.
Car manufacturers can’t afford to rest on their back feet when it comes to innovation, especially when new auto makers like Tesla and tech giants like Google and Apple are eyeing autonomous vehicles and developing the car as a new software platform. To stay proactive, many of these auto businesses have set up venture arms and are betting on startups. We used CB Insights social graph to map out the private market activity of the auto industry. These are the most active auto corporates with disclosed private market activity since 2010.
