Greg Schwartz

The video is live on Youtube! 🎥 I’ve never been more proud of the innovation ecosystem we’ve built here in Detroit. Catch the full recap of our Detroit Mobility Expo 2025 and see how we bring the community together! 🤝 🏁 We brought 400+ founders, OEMs, investors, and public leaders together at M1 Concourse to shape the future of EVs, manufacturing, AI, and mobility. It means a lot to have these voices helping shape and tell Detroit’s innovation story. Their insights and passion truly bring the community to life and highlight why this ecosystem is so special: Judd Herzer, Trpko Shawn Blazevski, Daniel Kennel, Jeffrey Nichols, Tarek Sobh, Bill Grice, & Justine Johnson. Feel the energy! Watch the recap. Join us at the next one. 👉 [https://lnkd.in/gfJ7-PCP] Thank you to the team! Vic Estrada, Emma Gran, Ava Milana, Nishant Dixit, Sakura Grant #Detroit #Ecosystem #Mobility #Innovation #PlugandPlay #FutureOfMobility #Startup #Corporate #CVC #VC #Community #Leadership #Technology

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Rides2U, one of Beckett Industries' portfolio companies, continues to scale with the launch of its product and service at the University of Michigan. Another step in its strategic rollout across college towns nationwide.   Built for safe, reliable, reservation-based transportation, Rides2U focuses on community trust and predictability, not random availability. Each ride is pre-scheduled, every driver vetted, and the experience designed for peace of mind — especially for students, parents, and campus communities.   In a category driven by speed, Rides2U is winning on safety, reliability, and community connection, becoming the trusted mobility platform for markets the big players often overlook. #ridesafe #rideshare #annarbor University of Michigan University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

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Just had an incredible conversation with Grace Dawes. Here’s some of what we covered: -Detroit automakers missed electric vehicles. To catch up... they need to make them fly. I said to a large audience of auto industry execs: "You missed electric vehicles, so you better make them fly." For the most part, they ignored me. -Why I’m betting on electric hydrofoil boats now. (Spoiler alert: They are awesome.) -How Bitcoin will become the platform for almost all transactions (and why every family should hold 6 months of expenses in BTC) Thanks to Grace for having me on. Looking forward to meeting in person in Detroit in September!

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🚀 ID Ventures 📍 Offices: Detroit (United States) 📈 Investment Stages: Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A 🧠 Focus: Software-B2B, Life Science, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Consumer Products, Business Services, Fintech/Insurance, Healthcare IT, Mobility, Adtech, Marketing 📖 ID Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in promising Michigan-based, high-tech startups. They provide capital and work with ecosystem partners to support companies in scaling their teams and securing follow-on funding. Their focus is on supporting Michigan's startup community and bolstering the state's economy. 🗓️ Founded: 2009 💼 Portfolio: Airspace Link, Functional Fluidics, Celsee, Inc., Covaron, Dynamo Metrics 🌐 Website: https://idventures.com 🔎 More at projectstartups.com #venturecapital #SoftwareB2B #Life #vcfunding #startup #vc

Bright Future for Bricks & Mortar Stores. Great piece covering Advise by John Walshe @ Retail Media Group, and highlighting: ·      Vast Majority of Grocery Sales still happen in Brick & Mortar Stores (80% plus) ·      CPG/ FMCG manufacturers are drowning in data and leaving enormous volumes and value on the shop floor, on the shelf, in the storeroom, with the competition, wasted… take your pick! ·      When manufacturers don’t engage with data they already have access to, they can’t automate processes, increase margins, increase efficiencies, reduce costs & retail talent. ·      Almost forgot… Manufacturers have to embrace AI, where it makes sense, like everyone else… 😊 See full article here: https://lnkd.in/erNY7bnH #cpganalytics #drowningindata #ecrireland #catmanglobal

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Hard’ware is hard, especially in mobility. Dominated by offshore-manufacturing, which means we build business here and ship economic upside elsewhere. So grateful for the time with Chris Nolte, co-founder of Bloom, at Newlab Detroit. They’re not launching new factories, but solving for the missing middle in mobility manufacturing. Bringing visibility and access to production capacity that’s already here, just underutilized and siloed. Think: the auto stamping shop that could serve e-bike startups; the composites facility already capable of making mobility parts; electronics makers ready for micro-mobility systems. Bloom is connecting the dots, lowering risk for manufacturers and giving real, on-shore access. Over 97% of bicycles sold in the U.S. are imported, that isn’t a scarcity issue, it’s access. Bloom is proving there’s another path. At Lockstop we’re following the same logic in active transportation, taking what exists (a humble bike rack) and expanding it into something smarter: secure parking, better data, more trust.

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One of my agentic commerce predictions for 2026 in this recent Forbes piece: Matt Nichols, General Partner at Commerce Ventures, notes that the mechanics are already in motion. Looking ahead, he predicts that this year, "Agentic commerce transaction volume reaches meaningful levels as consumers advance from research to buying on AI platforms. 2026 will be the year that transactions are completed in these platforms." To this prediction, Nichols adds another: retailers will be forced to build "super-feeds" specifically for AI platforms. “These data feeds may involve monetary transactions that could include payments to AI platforms or payments to the retailer/brand (depending on balance of power).” https://lnkd.in/g65RAerA

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Two acquisition announcements in Autotech Ventures' portfolio in the last few days: Fox Robotics was purchased by Symbotic, while SpotHero was acquired by Uber. The ground transportation and mobility ecosystem is roaring again!

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It's hard to pick my favorite Zeno flex... - the fact that they boost their working class end customers' take home pay by up to 50%? - the fact that they're building critical clean energy infrastructure in markets poised to 'leapfrog' our fossil ways? - the fact that people are organically fangirling over their Zeno Emaras on YouTube and TikTok? - how fast they've built this? - how little capital they've spent? - their choice to build real technical IP that no one else has? - the fact that they could one day become a major energy utility for some of the most populous regions of the world? - the fact that lots of investors said "emerging markets, nooooo....!"? (love a contrarian bet) or all of the above?? So proud and impressed with Michael Spencer and the whole Zeno team, grateful they let me ride along on their journey, and excited for what's next 🏍️ 💫

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