Silicon Valley News Update
Week Ending April 7, 2017
This week we saw some interesting developments across the Automotive ecosystem and beyond. Some are some key highlights:
- Following in the footsteps of SpaceX, Tesla will disrupt the car industry. Read More
- Tesla passes Ford in market value as investors bet on the future. Read More
- Ford says self-driving cars on track for 2021. Read More
- Google paid its self-driving car boss $120 million and then he left for Uber. Read More
- Connected car devices market worth $57.15 Billion by 2021. Read More
- Mercedes-Benz accelerates electric vehicle investment. Read More
- Toyota teams up with universities to research electric-vehicle batteries. Read More
- This is Micron’s next big growth opportunity. Read More
- Magna commits investment of $5 million in artificial intelligence research institute. Read More
- General Motors advances its autonomous vehicle program. Read More
- Toyota and NTT collaborate to establish technologies for the creation of a Smart Mobility Society. Read More
- Renesas Electronics enables security and safety for next-generation connected cars. Read More
HMP Commentary:
This month, Tesla’s market capitalization continues to surge and overtook Ford. It is now attempting to be a “fully automated car manufacturer”; what Toyota and General Motors haven’t yet been able to do. Overall Tesla’s valuation may reflect a distorted reality especially compared to the other mainstream OEM’s financials. There seems to be a perception that the old business paradigm is changing fast and that the Silicon Valley may be driving a new reality: EV and autonomous vehicles are going to be the next big wave of innovation. Toyota plans to spend $35 million on partnerships with several universities to study ways to make better batteries for electric vehicles, and has agreed to collaborate with the NTT Group on developing and standardizing technology in the connected car field.
We continue to witness the impact of the connected car in the industry: Ford is working very aggressively to be perceived as a “fully autonomous vehicle supplier” by 2021 while Magna is investing in the next generation of AI technology. Micron Technology is looking to expand into the automotive and consumer markets. Renesas has announced its new software packages to improve security and safety capabilities for next-generation of connected cars. Also, the lawsuit filed by Waymo claiming that Uber stole trade secrets is still very much ‘in the news” here in the Valley.
About Harvest Management Partners LLC:
Harvest Management Partners LLC is a Silicon Valley based investment bank, specializing in company financial assessment, advisory services, plan of action development, strategic marketing, and worldwide negotiation of mergers and acquisitions. Since 2010, Harvest Management Partners has assisted over 40 technology clients within the software, semiconductor, security, IP and automotive electronics sectors. They are also the exclusive Silicon Valley advisors for Fiat Chrysler Automotive (NYSE: FCAU) and TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL). With a combined history of 60+ years of direct operational experience and relationships with venture capitalists and C-Level executives worldwide, Harvest Management Partners is well positioned to provide a comprehensive set of unique services for their clients. For more information, visit www.harvestmp.com