Automotive Ventures
Automotive Ventures is an Atlanta-based seed-stage venture capital firm investing exclusively in automotive and mobility technology startups across three funds, deploying $500k average checks into a 56-company portfolio backed by dealer-principal and strategic limited partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Automotive Ventures does
Automotive Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Atlanta that invests exclusively in automotive and mobility technology startups. Founded by Steve Greenfield, a 25-year automotive technology veteran with prior leadership roles at AutoTrader.com, TrueCar, and Manheim, the firm manages three funds: Mobility Fund I ($7M, 2020), DealerFund ($13M, 2022), and Mobility Fund II ($15M, March 2025). The firm has deployed capital into 56 portfolio companies at an average initial check size of $500k, with thesis coverage spanning connectivity and cybersecurity, autonomy and AI, shared mobility, decarbonization, auto commerce, smart city, and the dealership of the future. Limited Partners are drawn primarily from US automotive dealership principals, supplemented by strategic investors including Assurant Ventures and Impel.
The firm's revenue model follows standard VC economics: management fees on committed capital (typically ~2% annually) plus carried interest on profitable exits. Distribution occurs through direct seed checks into portfolio companies globally and through the Automotive Ventures Investment Club (AVIC), which offers accredited investors $2,000-$15,000 deal-by-deal participation via SPVs. The core team comprises Steve Greenfield (General Partner), Justin Charbonneau (Venture Principal), Chip Perry (Operating Partner and founding ex-CEO of AutoTrader.com), and Phil Battista (Operating Partner, joined September 2025). Marketing is concentrated in content — including a weekly Intel Report newsletter, books authored by Greenfield, conference speaking, and LinkedIn thought leadership — rather than paid acquisition.
Strategically, the firm differentiates through three pillars: industry expertise anchored in the partners' operating track records, a robust dealer and OEM network that functions as both deal flow and distribution, and a founder-empathy operating model. Performance evidence includes Mobility Fund I tracking at over 30% net IRR, a portfolio including exit-acquired Dealerware (January 2026), and follow-on rounds led by growth investors such as Centana, Menlo Ventures, FM Capital, and Wavecrest. The fund's progression from $7M to $15M and the addition of corporate strategic LPs point to a deliberate institutionalization trajectory rather than purely organic scaling.
Automotive Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Automotive Ventures
- Legal name
- Automotive Ventures LLC
- Website
- https://automotiveventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Automotive Ventures is an Atlanta-based seed-stage venture capital firm investing exclusively in automotive and mobility technology startups across three funds, deploying $500k average checks into a 56-company portfolio backed by dealer-principal and strategic limited partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Automotive Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Mobility Investment Funds
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where Automotive Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Automotive Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: VC firms typically charge management fees (usually 2% of assets under management) on their venture funds, plus carried interest (typically 20% of profits above a preferred return threshold).
- Portfolio Company Returns: Returns generated through successful portfolio company exits via acquisitions or IPOs, distributed to fund limited partners after carried interest.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Average initial check size of $500,000 across portfolio investments |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Automotive Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Automotive Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in early-stage automotive and mobility technology startups. The firm manages three venture funds — Mobility Fund I, DealerFund I, and Mobility Fund II — and operates an Investment Club (AVIC) that allows accredited investors to participate deal-by-deal alongside the funds. The firm provides capital, industry expertise, and network access to founders building solutions across connectivity, autonomy, decarbonization, dealership innovation, and other mobility themes.
Product overview
Automotive Ventures is an early-stage automotive technology and mobility venture capital firm offering three investment funds and an investment club. The Mobility Fund I targets global seed-stage mobility startups, DealerFund I focuses on dealership technology with dealer Limited Partners, and Mobility Fund II continues the autotech investment thesis. The Investment Club (AVIC) provides accredited investors direct access to individual startup deals alongside the funds.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- First fund tracking at over 30% net IRR
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Automotive Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Automotive Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Automotive Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Automotive Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AutoTech Ventures: Early-stage venture firm investing in automotive and mobility startups, with a similar seed-stage focus and portfolio of dealership-adjacent and mobility technologies. Direct competitor for the same founder relationships and deal flow.
- Trucks VC: Seed- and early-stage venture firm focused on transportation, mobility, and supply-chain startups. Comparable fund size, stage focus, and thematic overlap with Automotive Ventures' Mobility Fund strategy.
- Maniv Mobility: Global venture capital fund investing exclusively in mobility and transportation technology. Direct competitor in the same seed-stage autotech category with a comparable portfolio thesis.
Emerging players
- BootstrapLabs: Early-stage VC firm focused on applied AI for industries including mobility and transportation. Smaller and more AI-focused, but competes for adjacent deal flow in mobility intelligence and automation.
Regional players
- Scrum Ventures: Tokyo- and San Francisco-based early-stage VC investing in mobility, enterprise, and frontier technologies. Overlaps with AV on mobility deals but operates with stronger Asia-Pacific deal sourcing.
Broad incumbents
- Obvious Ventures: Larger multi-stage VC firm with a thesis-driven focus on purpose-driven companies including mobility and sustainable transportation. Overlaps thematically with AV but operates at significantly larger fund sizes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Automotive Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceAutomotive Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Automotive Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Automotive Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Automotive Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments39 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Automotive Ventures
What does Automotive Ventures do?
Automotive Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in early-stage automotive and mobility technology startups. The firm manages three venture funds — Mobility Fund I, DealerFund I, and Mobility Fund II — and operates an Investment Club (AVIC) that allows accredited investors to participate deal-by-deal alongside the funds. The firm provides capital, industry expertise, and network access to founders building solutions across connectivity, autonomy, decarbonization, dealership innovation, and other mobility themes.
Is Automotive Ventures a public or private company?
Automotive Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Automotive Ventures founded?
Automotive Ventures was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Automotive Ventures based?
Automotive Ventures is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Automotive Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are portfolio Company Returns.
Who are Automotive Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AutoTech Ventures, Trucks VC and Maniv Mobility. BootstrapLabs is listed as an emerging player. Scrum Ventures is listed as a regional player. Obvious Ventures is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Automotive Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Automotive Ventures.
What industry is Automotive Ventures in?
Automotive Ventures's product category is Venture Capital / Mobility Investment Funds. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAJ, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms, with a secondary code of FSANAHAF, Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.