Porsche Invests In Israeli Automotive Tech Startup Tactile Mobility

Porsche participated in a $9 million investment round in Israeli automotive tech startup Tactile Mobility, the German auto giant announced on Tuesday.

Union Tech Ventures and Tactile Mobility’s existing investors also participated in the round.

Founded in 2012, the Haifa-based Tactile Mobility (formerly called MobiWize) says it provides smart and autonomous vehicles with the missing tactile sensing and data that make vehicles smarter and improve roads and mobility ecosystems. The company says its platform offers solutions for OEMs, tier-ones, road authorities, municipalities, fleet managers and owners.

“Tactile Mobility’s method helps us collect additional information about the condition of vehicles and roads that goes beyond the information that can be obtained with conventional sensor systems,” explained Michael Steiner, member of the executive board for Research and Development at Porsche.

Porsche said in a statement that integration of Tactile Mobility’s tech into series production cars is planned for sometime next year.

“We are very excited about the confidence that Porsche has in tactile data and virtual sensor systems,” said Amit Nisenbaum, CEO of Tactile Mobility, in a statement. “This investment will cement our leadership in this growing segment. By equipping intelligent vehicles with the sense of ‘touch’ and the ability to analyse tactile data, we can contribute to further improve the driving experience and make it even safer.”

Tactile Mobility said it plans to use the funds primarily to strengthen its development as well as sales activities and promote collaboration with other automotive manufacturers, mobility service providers as well as municipalities and road authorities in the US, Europe, and Asia.