In our second article, we analysed how car makers and tier-one suppliers are increasingly relying on start-ups as part of their innovation strategies. This week, we survey the mobility start-up landscape and explore the world of Mobility Unicorns. An explosion of mobility start-ups
Over 6,000 Auto Tech and Mobility start-ups have been launched in the last decade. The interactive chart below highlights the geographical spread of this sprawling start-up eco-system. As expected, 44% of mobility start-ups come from the two major innovation powerhouses: USA and China. Other well-known start-up hubs like Israel are similarly high on the list. However, there is also a rapidly growing eco-system of mobility start-ups in emerging markets like India, Brazil and Indonesia.
A shift in focus towards CASE, but with regional flavors
Tracking the focus areas of new start-ups over time shows a clear shift away from topics like logistics and e-commerce, and towards CASE: Connectivity, Autonomy, Shared Mobility and Electrification. The interactive chart below shows this change, highlighting also the growth in start-ups focussing on underlying technologies like Car-IT, Car-SW and AI.
Although the shift towards CASE is global, there are regional differences emerging in the balance of each of these trends. In China, for example, a much greater proportion of start-ups are focussed on electrification (a high priority for the Chinese government), while start-ups in Israel are more likely to focus on SW and sensors related to autonomous vehicles. A greater proportion of start-ups in emerging markets like India are likely to be working on shared mobility services, as they target systemic challenges associated with urban congestion.
Over 45% of mobility start-ups profiled as part of this analysis have yet to break the $1 Million annual revenue threshold. However, a small but growing number of them are joining the exclusive ‘Mobility Unicorn Club’.
Below are 14 such start-ups that were founded after 2010 and have since seen their valuation rise above $1 Billion. They have a combined valuation of $35 Billion, and have raised $13 Billion from 96 funding rounds over the last decade.
What do these Mobility Unicorns have in common? Almost 80% focus on CASE trends, with vehicle autonomy being a particularly common focus area for these Unicorns. The coming years will see many more join the prestigious Mobility Unicorn club, including start-ups that focus on data sharing, battery technology, vehicle skateboards and MaaS platforms.
As part of our strategic consulting practice, SBD supports investors with strategic and technical due diligence of mobility start-ups. The next article in this series will explore what we’ve uncovered within these projects about valuations within the mobility sector, and whether those throwing around the big ‘B’ word (Bubble) are right to flag concerns.