Israeli Startup Otonomo Partners With Microsoft To Expand Its Range of Automotive Services

Israeli startup Otonomo, a data services platform for autonomous and connected cars, announced on Monday a new collaboration with software giant Microsoft to expand the range of services available to automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and to accelerate the use of these services and other optimization solutions based on automotive data.

As the OEMs adopt the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, they can plug their connected car data into Otonomo’s existing ecosystem in order to roll out new connected car services, the company said in a statement.

“Global automakers are looking for practical, scalable ways to innovate in the car,” said Asaf Weisbrot, chief commercial officer at Otonomo. “Our collaboration with Microsoft will allow them to offer new, high-demand services to drivers faster than ever before. Microsoft’s cloud can handle the heavy lifting of ingesting huge volumes of sensor and usage data from connected vehicles.”

“Carmakers will benefit from Otonomo’s integration to the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform on Azure to enable easier data sharing and value creation options,” said Tara Prakriya, general manager of Azure IoT Mobility and Connected Vehicle at Microsoft.

Founded by CEO Ben Volkow and Avner Cohen in 2015, Otonomo has created a marketplace that enables car manufacturers, service providers, and app developers to exchange car data. The company operates in the US, Europe, and Japan and has raised a total of $53 million in funding to date, according to Crunchbase. Investors have included Aptiv (Delphi Automotive), Dell Technologies Capital, Hearst Ventures, Stageone Ventures, and Maniv Mobility.

In August, Otonomo announced a partnership with Avis Budget Group to gain insights from its diverse range of makers, models, and telematics technologies, help Avis streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction, and monetize the data generated by its connected fleet,

Earlier this year, the cloud-based Israeli startup partnered with Daimler AG on a new Neutral Server initiative to provide Mercedes-Benz connected car customers with digital services.