TransportInvestors

InMotion Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Jaguar Land Rover, has hired Sam Nasrolahi as principal.

A former analyst at BP Ventures, Nasrolahi joins InMotion from mobility startup Via, where she managed the launch of the company’s ridesharing and on-demand delivery services in EMEA and the US.

She was part of the company’s transition from consumer marketplace to B2B SaaS model.

At BP, Nasrolahi was focused on transitioning the oil and gas giant towards the sustainable mobility and wider low-carbon innovation space. She identified and evaluated opportunities leading to investments in startups including MaaS Global, Voltaware, and PowerShare, before becoming lead investment analyst for M&A worth $74 million.

At InMotion, Nasrolahi will be responsible for sourcing and leading new deals, as well as supporting existing InMotion portfolio companies, as it seeks to ‘supercharge’ its strategic investments into startups building a sustainable future for the automotive industry.

“I’m really excited to join InMotion at this time, as they look to ramp up their investment activity in the automotive sector,” said Nasrolahi. 

“The team’s reputable depth of knowledge and expertise, combined with its comprehensive network within the startup ecosystem, made it a perfect fit for me.”

Raising investment? These 5 tips will help you shine

Launched in 2016 and led by principal Alex Smout, InMotion Ventures invests in startups across the sustainability, FinTech and intelligent enterprise, providing expertise and resources to founders to help them scale through the unique challenges of the automotive industry. 

Although InMotion Ventures predominantly targets US and European businesses, it boasts a global reach and invests in startups at all stages from Seed to Series B.

Smout added: “We are thrilled to have Sam join InMotion Ventures as our new principal. 

“Her corporate investing background at BP Ventures make her the perfect addition as we identify new investment opportunities, and her operational experience at one of the mobility industry’s most exciting startups will be an invaluable resource for our portfolio founders as they continue to scale their businesses.”

Forget profits – focus on tech to survive the first 12 months