Participated · Series B · Apr 2021

EasyMile develops autonomous shuttles including the EZ10 people shuttle and TractEasy autonomous tractor-trailer for moving goods. The company says it is the world leader in autonomous shuttles with 60% of the global market, reporting 800,000 kilometers driven across over 300 locations in 30 countries while operating 180 vehicles worldwide. EasyMile has commercial partnerships and deployments with companies such as TLD and is working with Stellantis to build an autonomous vehicle using its technology. Management says it will use new funding to scale commercial deployments in closed-campus environments and continue investing toward integration with public transportation networks. The firm emphasizes focusing on addressable niche markets to achieve near-term commercial traction. EasyMile previously faced an NHTSA restriction on carrying passengers after an accident; that restriction has since been lifted. EasyMile develops software powering autonomous vehicles and end-to-end smart mobility solutions, and builds the EZ10 electric driverless shuttle for shared last-mile transport. The EZ10 provides shared transportation for up to 12 passengers, operating from a transport hub to a final destination within a precinct or confined area. Since April 2015 the EZ10 has been deployed at more than 50 sites in 14 countries across Asia, North America, the Middle East and Europe. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Toulouse, Singapore and Denver (USA). EasyMile employs 60 employees. The firm intends to use incoming funds to accelerate growth and support its R&D program, and has entered a commercial partnership with Alstom.

Led · Equity · Dec 2020

Cylus builds CylusOne, a rail cybersecurity platform that offers continuous monitoring and 360-degree real-time protection for mainline and urban railway systems. The platform enables real-time threat detection, advanced forensics, mitigation, and simplified security operations while integrating with new and legacy systems without network-architecture changes. CylusOne installs in a few hours with zero downtime and claims full visibility within seconds. The company announced a $30M Series B and said total funding now exceeds $57M; it did not disclose a post-money valuation. Cylus plans to use the capital to expand globally across North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific and to hire specialists in cybersecurity, traffic management and onboard/trackside systems. The company also intends to strengthen its AI and machine learning capabilities and has announced a strategic partnership with Alstom to protect the Tel-Aviv red line’s signaling and train control systems. Cylus is an Israel-based company founded in 2017 that develops cybersecurity solutions tailored to the railway sector. Its flagship product, CylusOne, is designed for the diversity and complexity of rail and metro environments and protects signalling, control, communications, trackside and onboard systems. CylusOne uses machine learning to speed detection of malware and artificial intelligence to determine behaviour and handle responses. The system is compatible with CBTC and ETCS and is intended for both mainline and urban networks to maximize performance, capacity and availability. Cylus entered a commercial partnership with Alstom, which invested US$7 million for a minority stake and will take one board seat; the technology is slated for initial implementation on the Tel Aviv metropolitan light rail system serving about 200,000 passengers a day. The partnership aims to integrate cybersecurity into rail processes and solutions globally and to help drive cyber-resilience standards for mobility. Cylus is a Tel Aviv-based company that develops cybersecurity solutions for railways and metro operators. Its core product, CylusOne, detects threats across signalling and control networks, as well as trackside and onboard systems, enabling timely responses before harm occurs. The company says rail systems have become technologically advanced and face growing cyberattack threats. Cylus reports established relationships with key players in the rail industry and growing partnerships with leading rail operators. Financially, Cylus secured $12 million in its latest funding round from Cyient, Cerca Partners, GlenRock, and FollowTheSeed, bringing total funding to $17 million to date. Cylus develops a platform that enables rail companies to detect cyber-attacks in their operational networks, including signaling systems and rolling stock, and to block attackers before they can cause damage. Key platform features include enhanced security that preserves existing safety mechanisms, centralized operational visibility through a unique interface that makes trackside and trainborne devices visible to operators, multi-vendor integrated systems protection to identify weak links, and preemptive threat response. The company targets railways and metros and is led by CEO Amir Levintal, formerly director of the IDF Cyber R&D Division; Boaz Zafrir serves as president and is a former CEO of Israel Railways. Cylus was founded in 2017 by veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces' Intelligence Corps' technological intelligence and security units. As of January 2018 the company raised $4.7M in seed funding from investors including Zohar Zisapel, Magma Venture Partners, Vertex Ventures and the SBI Group. The platform's focus on safety-integrated cybersecurity and multi-vendor support positions it to serve operators seeking centralized visibility and proactive defense.

Led · Equity · Oct 2012

BrightSource Energy designs and develops concentrating solar thermal technology to produce electricity and steam for power, petroleum and process markets. The company operates a 6 MW thermal demonstration facility in Israel and a 29 MW thermal facility for Chevron in Coalinga, California, and is constructing the 377 MW (net) Ivanpah solar project, which is more than 60% complete and expected to provide power to over 140,000 California homes by the end of 2013. Its next two projects, the 500 MW Rio Mesa and 500 MW Hidden Hills, are under review by the California Energy Commission with permitting decisions expected in 2013. BrightSource is collaborating with partners including Alstom on expanded geographic deployments in India and Australia and previously announced partnerships in the Mediterranean Ring and Africa. The company is also pursuing R&D on thermal storage and hybridization with fossil fuels. Financially, BrightSource has raised more than $80 million in additional equity financing, bringing total equity financings to over $615 million to support U.S. builds and international growth. BrightSource Energy develops large-scale solar power tower projects such as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert. The company focuses on utility-scale solar thermal generation and has secured power purchase agreements with major utilities, including Southern California Edison. BrightSource received a $168 million investment from Google’s Green Business Operations team that will be applied specifically to completing the Ivanpah project rather than the company’s broader operations. Google.org had previously invested $10 million three years earlier and took an equity stake. Ivanpah is expected to be completed around 2013, operate for 25 years, and produce about 392 gross megawatts — nearly doubling U.S. solar thermal output when finished. Conservation and Native American groups have filed lawsuits expressing concern about the project’s environmental impact on Mojave habitat and endangered tortoises. BrightSource Energy develops utility-scale solar thermal power plants for utilities. The company has contracts totaling 2,610 megawatts with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison to build 14 solar power plants in the US southwest by 2016. It raised an additional $150m in its Series D equity financing to support those contracts and to execute international expansion plans. The Series D was led by VantagePoint Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, with new investors Alston (which committed to invest up to $55m) and the California State Teachers Retirement System participating. The new round brings total capital raised to date to more than $300m. BrightSource has operations in the United States, Israel, and Australia.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2012

Lucibel develops and sells LED-based innovative lighting solutions, designing its products in France and distributing them in more than 35 countries. The company serves professional clients, municipalities and individual customers with energy-efficient lighting offerings. It was founded in 2008 by president Frédéric Granotier and is based in Rueil Malmaison, France. In December 2013 Lucibel closed a significant financing to support growth. The company intends to use the funds to execute its development strategy within France and expand internationally. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Lucibel designs, manufactures and markets new-generation lighting products and solutions based on LED technology. The company offers a complete range of LED lamps and fixtures and sells in 15 countries worldwide. Lucibel was created in 2008 by Frédéric Granotier, who serves as CEO. In mid-2012 the company closed a €3.5m round and has since closed an additional €1.5m financing. The latest investment supports a commercial and technical cooperation with Schneider Electric in Europe and Asia. Investors in the recent financing include Aster Capital, sponsored by Alstom, Solvay Rhodia and Schneider Electric.