In 2010 The Alliance entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Daimler (Carlos Ghosn Alliance Chairman R, Dieter Zetsche of Daimler L) on the next-generation small cars – the Renault Twingo and Smart Fortwo, including electric versions as well as expanding both model ranges.
Alliance Ventures, the corporate venture capital fund of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, the world’s largest automotive group by unit sales**, announced that it led a $5 million Series A investment in investment in Coord, the US mobility data platform. The latest investment by Alliance Ventures is also supported by additional funding from Trucks, Urban.Us, DB Ventures and Joshua Schachter. They join Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, a previous investor in Coord.
Initially focused on reaching developers with a suite of APIs*, Coord intends to use this new financing to scale geographic coverage and build a comprehensive solution to enable enterprise customers to optimize their use of transportation infrastructure such as roads, curbs and parking lots.
*Application programming interface – API – is a set of tools for MAKING software from defined methods of communication between various components. A strong API makes it easier to develop computer instructions by providing separated pieces, which are then put together by the programmer.
Currently a Coord API provides pricing for over 80% of tollways across the US it’s claimed. Using real-time information – transit schedules and bike-share availability – a Coord API stitches together multiple modes so the best routes for users are available. New bike-share and scooter systems are appearing in cities all over the country. With the Coord API, one can find available bikes and scooters from docked and dockless systems across the US.
“We’re excited to support Coord in their mission to make cities more livable by enabling seamless mobility for everyone,” said Ryan Armbrust, Partner at Alliance Ventures. “Coord is building a vital digital infrastructure that not only helps existing transportation modes operate more efficiently, but also enables rapid experimentation with new modes like scooter-share and autonomous vehicles.”
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors are the world’s largest automotive alliance. It is the longest-lasting and productive cross-cultural partnership in the auto industry, it’s claimed. **Together, the partners sold more than 10.6 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries in 2017. The member companies are focused on collaboration and maximizing synergies to boost competitiveness. They have strategic collaborations with other automotive groups, including Germany’s Daimler and China’s Dongfeng.
This strategic alliance is arguably the industry leader in zero-emission vehicles and is developing the latest advanced technologies, with plans to offer autonomous drive, connectivity features and services on a wide range of “affordable” vehicles.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Alliance Ventures Invests in Coord, a US Mobility Data Platform
In 2010 The Alliance entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Daimler (Carlos Ghosn Alliance Chairman R, Dieter Zetsche of Daimler L) on the next-generation small cars – the Renault Twingo and Smart Fortwo, including electric versions as well as expanding both model ranges.
Alliance Ventures, the corporate venture capital fund of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, the world’s largest automotive group by unit sales**, announced that it led a $5 million Series A investment in investment in Coord, the US mobility data platform. The latest investment by Alliance Ventures is also supported by additional funding from Trucks, Urban.Us, DB Ventures and Joshua Schachter. They join Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, a previous investor in Coord.
Initially focused on reaching developers with a suite of APIs*, Coord intends to use this new financing to scale geographic coverage and build a comprehensive solution to enable enterprise customers to optimize their use of transportation infrastructure such as roads, curbs and parking lots.
*Application programming interface – API – is a set of tools for MAKING software from defined methods of communication between various components. A strong API makes it easier to develop computer instructions by providing separated pieces, which are then put together by the programmer.
Currently a Coord API provides pricing for over 80% of tollways across the US it’s claimed. Using real-time information – transit schedules and bike-share availability – a Coord API stitches together multiple modes so the best routes for users are available. New bike-share and scooter systems are appearing in cities all over the country. With the Coord API, one can find available bikes and scooters from docked and dockless systems across the US.
“We’re excited to support Coord in their mission to make cities more livable by enabling seamless mobility for everyone,” said Ryan Armbrust, Partner at Alliance Ventures. “Coord is building a vital digital infrastructure that not only helps existing transportation modes operate more efficiently, but also enables rapid experimentation with new modes like scooter-share and autonomous vehicles.”
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors are the world’s largest automotive alliance. It is the longest-lasting and productive cross-cultural partnership in the auto industry, it’s claimed. **Together, the partners sold more than 10.6 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries in 2017. The member companies are focused on collaboration and maximizing synergies to boost competitiveness. They have strategic collaborations with other automotive groups, including Germany’s Daimler and China’s Dongfeng.
This strategic alliance is arguably the industry leader in zero-emission vehicles and is developing the latest advanced technologies, with plans to offer autonomous drive, connectivity features and services on a wide range of “affordable” vehicles.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.