\n Munich \/ San Francisco, April 29, 2026 \u2013BMW i
\n Ventures today launched its third fund, putting $300 million behind a
\n clear premise: that AI will fundamentally reshape how the automotive
\n industry operates and creates value across its entire ecosystem. Fully
\n backed by the BMW Group, Fund III will focus on physical AI, agentic
\n AI, industrial software, manufacturing technologies, supply chain
\n technologies and advanced materials. The fund will invest across North
\n America and Europe, from Seed through Series B. The launch brings BMW
\n i Ventures\u2019 total capital under management to $1.1 billion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith BMW i Ventures, we are investing in technologies that will
\n shape the future of our industry. Our corporate venture capital
\n activities play a key role in our innovation strategy, complementing
\n our internal R&D and building strategic partnerships across the
\n entire automotive value chain\u201d, said Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW
\n Group. \u201cBMW i Ventures is launching the third fund at the
\n perfect time: AI has shown its tremendous potential to transform
\n products, operations, and entire value chains. Through BMW i Ventures
\n and Fund III, we are best prepared to leverage these opportunities: We
\n can anticipate shifts early, act quickly and efficiently on
\n innovations, and remain at the forefront of our industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n AI as Operating Layer of the Automotive World\n<\/p>\n
BMW i Ventures will focus on agentic AI, AI-native enterprise
\n applications that automate complex workflows in industrial
\n environments, and physical AI that enables robots and autonomous
\n machines to perceive, plan and act safely in the real world. As AI
\n unlocks step-function improvements in productivity, decision-making
\n and speed of execution, the fund will back innovations across the
\n automotive value chain in automation, engineering, and manufacturing,
\n from highly specific production optimization to platforms that enable
\n connected and intelligent operations across industrial networks.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWith Fund III, we\u2019re backing the founders who are turning AI into an
\n industrial advantage, on the factory floor, in logistics networks and
\n across global supply chains,\u201d said Marcus Behrendt, Managing
\n Partner at BMW i Ventures. \u201cThe new fund sharpens our focus
\n for a world where AI-native software, robotics, and materials
\n innovation will define the next generation of suppliers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cAI is quickly becoming part of the operating system of the modern
\n enterprise,\u201d added Kasper Sage, Managing Partner at BMW i
\n Ventures. \u201cWe\u2019re particularly interested in AI that can
\n execute workflows end-to-end, driving real ROI through autonomous
\n systems. That\u2019s where productivity gains have real business impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Advanced Materials and Circular Supply Chains\n<\/p>\n
For BMW i Ventures, circularity remains a core investment pillar that
\n supports industrial resilience and helps reduce exposure to
\n constrained or geopolitically sensitive supply chains for critical
\n materials. Fund III will continue to back next-generation materials
\n innovations and technologies designed to advance circular industrial
\n systems across product design, manufacturing processes, and supply
\n chains. This includes technologies that support recycling and recovery
\n of critical materials, circular manufacturing processes, and new
\n materials that combine performance improvements with more efficient
\n resource use.<\/p>\n
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\u201cCircularity is not only about reducing emissions, it\u2019s about
\n securing access to raw materials and reducing exposure to constrained
\n supply chains,\u201d said Behrendt. \u201cThe new fund\u2019s focus
\n on AI expands the toolkit for sustainability rather than replacing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Building on More Than a Decade of Experience\n<\/p>\n
Since 2011, BMW i Ventures has invested in more than 90 companies and \n \u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Long-Term Commitment to Venture Investing\n<\/p>\n Through BMW i Ventures, the BMW Group gains early access to BMW i Ventures\u2019 first fund has already returned significant capital, \n \u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n About BMW i Ventures For more information, visit www.bmwiventures.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n BMW Group Corporate Communications\n<\/p>\n Dr Britta Ullrich, Finance Communications<\/p>\n Telephone: +49 89 382-18364<\/p>\n
\n realized more than 30 exits. This track record includes successes like
\n GaN Systems (acquired by Infineon<\/a> for $830 million) and 11
\n portfolio companies that have gone public, such as Kodiak<\/a>, Chargepoint<\/a>, and Xometry<\/a>. Active portfolio
\n highlights include Skylo<\/a>, a
\n specialist in satellite connectivity; Embotech<\/a>, a provider of
\n autonomous driving solutions for industrial logistics; Tekion<\/a>, an AI-native automotive retail
\n platform; Rive<\/a>, an interactive UI
\n design and animation engine; and Synera<\/a>, an AI agent platform for engineering.<\/p>\n
\n strategically relevant innovations while building insight into
\n emerging trends and disruptions across global technology ecosystems.
\n This helps strengthen BMW\u2019s long-term competitiveness and supports the
\n integration of new technologies into future vehicles, production
\n systems, and digital services.<\/p>\n
\n with positive DPI (Distributed to Paid-In capital), and Fund II is
\n nearing the end of its initial investment period with over 30
\n portfolio companies. Fund III builds on the first two funds and is
\n structured to lead investment rounds while maintaining its footprint
\n in the United States and Europe. The new fund has the capacity to back
\n AI-native companies as early as the seed stage, reflecting how quickly
\n AI-first companies can now be built and scaled. Operating with the
\n independence and speed of a traditional venture firm, BMW i Ventures
\n is structured to identify and back emerging technologies well before
\n they reach the mainstream.<\/p>\n
BMW i Ventures is the independent venture capital fund of the
\n BMW Group, based in Silicon Valley and Munich. BMW i Ventures invests
\n in companies that are shaping the future of the automotive industry,
\n manufacturing, and the supply chain, focusing on physical AI, agentic
\n AI, AI-native enterprise and industrial software. BMW i Ventures
\n invests in startups in all phases across North America and Europe,
\n from seed to growth stage, with an emphasis on Series A and B. Since
\n 2011, BMW i Ventures has invested in more than 90 companies, including
\n GaN Systems, Kodiak, Chargepoint, Xometry, Skylo, Embotech, Tekion,
\n Rive and Synera. The firm’s\u00a0total capital under management is $1.1 billion.<\/p>\n