Last year, multinational automotive powerhouse Stellantis launched its venture capital arm, Stellantis Ventures, to further its green mobility goals. Furnished with an initial fund of €300 million, Stellantis Ventures targets investments in startups developing technologies to support its 2030 goals, including those tied to the transition towards lower-emission mobility. Recently, Stellantis Ventures announced it would allocate €100 million from this fund to make 11 key investments in sustainable mobility, most notably backing 3D printing firms 6K and Lyten.
Overall, ten startup companies and one mobility venture fund have been considered so far as its first vital investments. Three of the projects backed by Stellantis Ventures are launching this year, validating the fund’s mission to accelerate the deployment of innovative, customer-centric mobility technologies and support Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 efforts in leading the change to more sustainable mobility and better in-vehicle experience for all customers.
Stellantis Ventures has become a driving force behind the Stellantis Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan. This ambitious roadmap targets halving carbon emissions by 2030, achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, transforming 100% of passenger car sales in Europe and 50% in the U.S. to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by the decade’s end, doubling net revenues, and becoming the leader in customer satisfaction across all markets by 2030.
Target sectors
Stellantis Ventures’ investments strategically align with the three core pillars of the Dare Forward 2030 strategy: care, tech, and value. In the domain of care, investments have been made in companies such as 6K, a firm advocating advanced sustainable manufacturing. 6 K’s innovation lies in its UniMelt plasma process, which ensures clean, low-carbon material production. The cutting-edge platform can produce sustainable materials critical for various applications, including E.V. batteries and 3D printing, signaling a solid commitment to sustainable mobility.
6 K’s UniMelt microwave plasma recycles feedstock into premium AM-ready metal powder. Image courtesy of 6K.
When it comes to the tech pillar, Stellantis Ventures has invested in companies such as Nauto, Trails Offroad, Viaduct, Geoflex, and Envisics, each aiming to revolutionize various aspects of mobility. They’re employing technologies ranging from artificial intelligence (A.I.) to satellite positioning augmentation, designed to improve safety, navigation, and vehicle analytics, and even introduce augmented reality head-up displays.
The final pillar, value, is represented through investments in companies like Electra Vehicles and Lyten. Silicon Valley pioneer Lyten stands out with its decarbonization materials platform, Lyten 3D Graphene, for vehicle weight reduction.
Adam Bazih, head of Stellantis Ventures, expressed excitement to support Lyten on its journey to revolutionize batteries, sensors, and structural materials using sustainable 3D graphene.
Furthermore, Stellantis described on social media LinkedIn that it had invested in Lyten to develop applications for advanced lithium-sulfur-based E.V. batteries, vehicle lightweighting, and enhanced vehicle sensing solutions. Lyten’s batteries and materials aim to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, marking a shared commitment between the two companies to further sustainable mobility.
Concurrent with Stellantis Ventures’ investment announcement in Lyten was the inauguration of Lyten’s pilot production line for lithium-sulfur batteries in San Jose, California. A move the tech startup hopes will revolutionize the battery industry. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lyten headquarters, company CEO and Co-founder Dan Cook said the startup is taking a “leadership role in helping to ramp up a domestic battery supply chain in America.”
The pilot line is housed within Lyten’s 145,000-square-foot Silicon Valley campus, which includes Lyten’s 3D Graphene fab and its operations supporting the development of additional Lyten 3D Graphene applications. These include lightweight composites and revolutionary forms of chemical, resonant, and biological sensing solutions for transportation, aerospace, industrial, energy, and defense customers.
Lyten’s Lithium-Sulfur Battery Pilot Line ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lyten headquarters. Image courtesy of Lyten.
The vision
Through these carefully selected investments, Stellantis Ventures wants to connect the dots between care for the environment, technological innovation, and delivering unparalleled value.
“Transforming Stellantis into a mobility tech company means we need to have the mindset of a startup, focused on our customers and working with a dash of impatience,” concluded Ned Curic, Stellantis’s Chief Technology Officer. “We are using the strength of Stellantis Ventures to connect with companies that are developing cutting-edge technology that we believe can transform the in-cabin experience and improve the mobility sector for our customers and for society as a whole.”