As Mobivia’s investment fund and accelerator of new mobility startups, Via ID keeps focusing on its core business by entering a new stage of development with the arrival of Romain Lafitte – Investment Director – and Jean-Luc Rippinger – Venture Partner & European Operations Director.
Via ID’s investment thesis
Via ID’s mission is to provide equity financing to early stage startups in the Seed and Series A phase to help them move to a new stage of their development. We are mainly looking for new mobilities startups related to:
- Electric vehicles
- Micro-mobility
- Data and connected vehicles
- Circular economy, etc.
The impact criteria is also very important and taken into account in the selection of projects. Indeed, startups that contribute to environmental, social and societal challenges are favored.With 13 years of experience, Via ID relies on its team and the power of its ecosystem to support innovative companies in sustainable mobility in France and Europe.
A team build to strengthen Via ID’s investment activity
Via ID’s investment team includes 5 people and is led by Romain Lafitte:
Romain Lafitte, Investment Director.
Jean-Luc Rippinger, Venture Partner & Director of European Operations.
Lukas Loers, Director Strategy & CorpDev.
Ramz Manchoud, Venture Capital Analyst.
Vincent Cabanel, Startup Acceleration Manager.
Romain’s arrival is in line with Via ID’s development strategy and our desire to reaffirm our positioning as a French and European investment fund. His entrepreneurial experience and expertise as an investor enable Via ID to strengthen its investment activity.
I am very happy to join Via ID. I fully recognize myself in the vision and the values carried by the team. On the other hand, the challenges of the new mobility sector are numerous and exciting, which is why I am delighted to join an investment structure with a real value proposition for startups. A structure that offers not only a capital contribution, but also and above all a real sector expertise and a powerful network, notably thanks to its ecosystem – the Moove lab, the European Startup Prize for Mobility and the Mobility Club.
The investment activity priority for 2023: strengthening the European dimension
The investment team’s goal is to accelerate the investment dynamic with a particular focus on the development in Europe.
The opening of the Munich office in 2021 shows Via ID’s strong commitment to strengthen its activities in the European market through a local presence. Under the leadership of Jean-Luc Rippinger, Venture Partner & Director of European Operations of Via ID, the ambition is to increase the presence of the investment pole not only in Germany, but also in the Nordic countries, the Benelux and soon in Spain.
That is one of the reasons why we signed a partnership with the Digital Hub Mobility of the UnternehmerTUM (UTUM), the largest technological innovation center in Europe attached to the Technological University of Munich, the German “Station F“. This collaboration aims to develop a watch on the German-speaking investment market, to identify investment opportunities and to ease the establishment of startups from the Via ID ecosystem in Germany.
Via ID is pleased to have signed this strategic partnership with Digital Hub Mobility by UnternehmerTUM, which will boost our development in Germany. This collaboration will improve our market intelligence and deal flow, and provide a very valuable network to our portfolio companies who want to enter the German market.