Silicon Valley News Update
Week Ending June 2, 2017
This week we saw some interesting developments across the Automotive ecosystem and beyond. Some are some key highlights:
- Biggest threat to Ford? Not GM, but Silicon Valley. Read More
- Google, IBM, Lyft partner on open source microservices management platform Istio. Read More
- Google’s Waymo worth more than GM, Tesla and Uber? Read More
- Companies partner on automotive radar for object detection. Read More
- Volvo and Lotus are about to join forces. Read More
- Californian startup boosts LiDAR’ specs with proprietary InGaAs design. Read More
- AI spending in automotive to surge – top use cases revealed. Read More
- Tesla has the greatest story in the history of cars and that should terrify automakers. Read More
- Automakers most trusted to develop self-driving tech: survey. Read More
- How Google and Ford‘s driverless car deal fell apart. Read More
- Ford’s new CEO may be about to go on a Silicon Valley shopping spree. Read More
- A startup is taking on Tesla with a stunning SUV in the hottest market for electric cars. Read More
HMP Commentary:
Google, IBM and Lyft announced the launch of Istio, a new open-source platform that allows an easier way to secure and manage micro services as well as create a network of services, including tools for load balancing and service-to-service authentication. After partnering with the Lyft, Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, could be worth $70 billion. Waymo’s technology is ranked among the best in the self-driving field and is moving forward to directly challenge Tesla. Analog Devices and Renesas Electronics Corporation announced their collaboration on a system-level radar sensor to improve advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications and enable autonomous driving vehicles. The deal to pull off a partnership on developing self-driving cars between Ford and Google appears to have ended. In fact, Ford was pressuring Google for a major commitment and Google did not want to be exclusive, so that it could continue to partner with other car makers.
Ford Motor decided to replace its CEO, Mark Fields a 28-year company veteran, mostly due to concerns about Silicon Valley competition and its desire to shift its narrative as an automaker to a mobility company. Ford is likely to double down and accelerate its autonomous vehicle effort and wanted “a more innovative CEO who could promote electric and autonomous vehicles”. A local Silicon Valley startup, Luminar Technologies, has come out of stealth after five years of secretive research and development exclusively focused on LiDAR technology, betting on InGaAs technology for its key components and process. Volvo’s Chinese parent company, Geely, announced its acquisition of 51% of British sports car maker, Lotus, from Malaysian automaker, Proton Holdings. A study forecasts that the market for automotive AI hardware, software, and services will grow from $404 million in 2016 to $14 billion by 2025. Even though Tesla’s market value has risen dramatically, the company is facing a new direct competitor, the Chinese electric car startup Nio (ex-NextEv). Nio is planning to start selling cars in the most lucrative market for battery-powered vehicles, China, by early 2018.
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