Scaling opportunities & use cases for your technology solutions & business models across an extensive product & service portfolio in multiple industries:

ZF is a global technology leader supplying systems & solutions for the mobility of people, transport of goods and a wide array of industrial applications.

Numerous application scenarios for your technologies:

ZF follows an integrated systems approach, combining hardware, software, data & digital services into holistic end-to-end mobility solutions.

Broad market access potential for your solutions:

ZF supplies a large global customer base of established OEMs and an increasing portfolio of new mobility customers in the private and public sector.

Access to leading experts, deep know-how and profound capabilities & experience on how to validate, industrialize and scale your solutions:

ZF can leverage its global presence, access the know-how of ~160.000 employees and over 100 years of automotive grade industrialization experience.

1. We are thrilled about inventing the future of mobility

2. We believe that success can only be achieved in partnerships & ecosystems

3. We live TOFU (Take Ownership & Follow Up) and are easy to do business with

4. We aim to empower everybody we interact with

We are looking for collaboration opportunities with startups that can take many different shapes & forms and evolve over time.

These partnerships can take many shapes, sizes and forms – an early customer-supplier-relationship (venture client), a collaboration for technology development & industrialization, a shared business model and go-to-market approach, an equity investment – depending on what generates the most value for you and for us.

Our primary objective is to drive strategic value through collaboration and a long-term partnership – but there can be exceptions in cases where investments open the door for future collaboration.

Please get in touch with us and we will help you identify and connect with the right contact person within ZF.

Through ZF Ventures, we intend to establish new revenue pools, enhance our product & service portfolio and implement solutions that further improve our operational excellence.

We therefore look for technology, product & service, business model and process innovation opportunities.

We are looking for solutions that shape the future of mobility & industrial technology.

Our current focus areas are: E-Mobility, AD, ADAS & Vehicle Systems, Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Digital Mobility, Business Process Digitalization, Industry 4.0, Deep Tech, Clean Tech & Sustainability.

We work with startups from all around the globe with a specific focus on Europe, North-America and Asia-Pacific.

We focus on collaboration and partnerships, and in many cases this means purchasing the technology, products or services of startups, thus becoming an early customer (venture-client).

It depends on the use case & application of your solution – for cutting-edge technology innovation we might be looking at earlier stage maturity than for a process optimization case where we will need to rely on a ready-to-deploy and market proven solution.

Very closely – we are in constant exchange with our internal business and functional stakeholders to understand their strategic needs for outside-in innovation and their individual capabilities.

Yes, funding and resources typically need to be provided by the respective ZF business entity that is engaging in a PoC. In this way we ensure there is “skin in the game” and a fully focused & dedicated team in place to drive valuable PoC outcomes.

The mode of engagement (including agreement on scope, expected outcomes, resources, milestones, payment, collaboration model, etc.) between the startup and the respective ZF entity is collaboratively determined at the beginning of the PoC – ZF Ventures helps in facilitating the right setup.

Yes, we help you find and connect with the right stakeholders in ZF to scale your solution across the ZF ecosystem, including people with a technical or business interest as well as those with a functional responsibility (e.g. IT, HR, Operations, etc.).

Currently, ZF Ventures is focusing on VC Fund investments and initiation of collaboration opportunities. We have not yet established an own dedicated ZF Fund, although this is in planning for the near future.

Nevertheless, we can support you in your funding process through our extensive global VC Network.

ZFs direct investments are initiated and funded directly by our Divisions & Business Units.

ZF Ventures can support you in identifying and connecting with the right business owners, as well as in preparing and navigating the investment process.

It depends on the strategic intent of the respective business stakeholder. To date, our direct investment have been between early stage and Series C.

It depends on the investment case and the funding round, but in general we participate with single to low two-digit percentage stakes.

Yes, depending on our equity share and if of mutual benefit to the startup and ZF.

We prefer to syndicate our investments with existing or new investors in the company and typically co-lead or follow as necessary.