Dr Ulrich Quay

Partner @ NATO Innovation Fund (NIF)

📍 Mountain View, California, United States🔄 Updated September 2026💼 18 investments📅 14 years investing🗓 Last invested Feb 2020
VC🌍 United States
18
Total investments
7
Early stage
9
Mid stage
0
Late stage
14y
Years active

Portfolio

17 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Investor
Feb 2020
AutoFi is the leading commerce platform for end-to-end digital automotive sales and financing, powering billions of online transactions every year. Through its innovative platform and expansive network of trusted lenders, AutoFi empowers sellers, including the nation’s top dealers and digital retailers, to sell more efficiently and profitably. Additionally, AutoFis Lending-as-a-Service API offers customized solutions that power the financing for the largest branded automotive marketplaces in the industry. For more information, visit www.autofi.com.
Investor and Board Observer
Jan 2019
Zūm has reimagined student transportation— managing every vehicle, driver, passenger, parent, and ride on a single platform. We’re growing fast and looking for super-smart folks motivated to fix the nations largest mass transportation system and make a real difference for students, schools, drivers, parents and caregivers. If fixing an antiquated system hidden in plain sight excites you, drop us a note at apply@ridezum.com today.
Investor and Board Member
Jul 2018
Tekion is redefining automotive retail with an end-to-end, AI-native platform purpose-built for the industry. With AI built into every workflow, Tekion delivers intelligent automation, real-time insights, and advanced decision support—driving measurable efficiency, revenue, and modern consumer experiences. As the first and fastest cloud-native platform for automotive, Tekion unites OEMs, dealers, partners, and consumers through its revolutionary suite of solutions: Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and large enterprises, and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Together, these offerings connect the entire ecosystem on a single, AI-native platform that empowers teams to operate smarter, serve faster, and scale more profitably. With AI-powered, cloud-native technology, Tekion is enabling the most seamless, transparent, and profitable retail experiences in the industry—helping automotive businesses transform how they operate today and prepare for what’s next.
Investor and Board Member
Jul 2017
Stressfreier Autoservice: das Rundum-Sorglos Paket für dein Auto. Jeder Schritt der Durchführung ihres Autoservice wird für Sie übernommen. Unsere qualifizierten Berater helfen Ihnen dabei jederzeit kostenlos und unverbindlich ihr Anliegen erfolgreich abzuschließen.
early stageAutomotive
Investor
Jul 2017
Shift (NASDAQ: SFT) is a leading end-to-end auto ecommerce platform transforming the used car industry with a technology-driven, hassle-free customer experience. Shift’s mission is to make car purchase and ownership simple — we make buying or selling a used car fun, fair, and accessible to everyone. Shift provides comprehensive, digital solutions throughout the car ownership lifecycle: finding the right car, and a seamless digitally-driven purchase transaction including financing and vehicle protection products. You can also expect an efficient, digital trade-in/sale transaction, and long term support from our staff. Our goal is to provide high-value support services during car ownership. In other words, your journey doesnt end when you buy a car from Shift. Were breaking the mold! Come and experience how Shift has changed the traditional car buying and selling experience. #Ifyouknowyoushift
Investor and Board Member
Jun 2017
Xometry is a leading AI-enabled marketplace for on-demand manufacturing, transforming one of the largest industries in the world. It is a public company listed on NASDAQ (symbol: XMTR). With its proprietary technology, Xometry creates a marketplace that enables designers and engineers to rapidly source high-quality on-demand manufactured parts and assemblies. Xometry's innovative platform also empowers sellers of manufacturing services across the nation to grow their businesses. Xometry’s buyers range from self-funded startups to Fortune 100 companies. Xometry’s online quoting portal and network of thousands of manufacturing facilities helps ensure fast lead times while offering a broad array of capabilities, including CNC Machining, 3D Printing, Injection Molding, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Sheet Cutting and Casting. www.xometry.com | info@xometry.com | 240.252.1138
Investor and Board Observer
Jan 2017
Fair is an automotive FinTech company that’s revolutionizing car buying by offering unprecedented freedom, flexibility and an end-to-end mobile experience. We believe fairness matters. That’s why we’ve created a game-changing new app that lets you shop, get approved and pay for a car all on your phone with just a driver’s license and bank account. Get in-app approval for a monthly payment amount that works for you, then head to the dealership and check-out in minutes. You can drive your car for as long as you want, and return it any time you’re ready. That’s the Fair way to drive!
Investor
Sep 2016
The Idea-to-Production Platform Rapidly design, develop and scale production of better products in less time with the Carbon platform. Integrated end-use materials, software, and 3D printers enable teams to accelerate bringing products to market — from idea to production. Create radically better products with Carbon.
mid stageManufacturing
Investor and Board Member
May 2016
Join thousands of hybrid employees worldwide who choose Scoop to coordinate office days, improve meeting workflows, and maximize productivity without sacrificing their flexibility. Scoop is integrated into Slack and Google Calendar, allowing you to effectively manage and plan your schedule directly in the platforms you use most. Best of all, its free to use! Visit scoopforwork.com and start reclaiming your time today.
Investor
May 2015
STRATIM builds Intelligent technology to modernize and improve the performance of fleet. By uniting every aspect of fleet operations into a single interface, teams and workflows start to work together intelligently. It is this unification that allows mobility companies to operate a robust, predictable and hyper-efficient business so they can focus on achieving their mission. STRATIM is comprised of three products. STRATIM for Fleets, STRATIM for Vendors and the STRATIM Marketplace that enables fleet owners and their vendors to transact with each other.
Investor
Nov 2014
Moovit (www.moovit.com), part of Mobileye (Nasdaq: MBLY), is a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions provider and the creator of the #1 urban mobility app. Moovit’s iOS, Android, and Web app guides people in getting around town effectively and conveniently, using any mode of transport. Introduced in 2012 it now serves over 1.5 billion users in more than 3,500 cities across 112 countries. Moovit amasses up to six billion anonymous data points a day to add to the world’s largest repository of transit and urban mobility data. For governments, cities, transit agencies, and private companies Moovit offers AI-powered MaaS solutions covering planning, operations, and optimization with proven value in reducing congestion, growing ridership, and increasing efficiency and asset utilization. Moovit and Mobileye are accelerating the global adoption of autonomous transportation, bringing MoovitAV robotaxi services to cities worldwide.
Investor
Nov 2014
Turo is reinventing rental to unlock independence for all, with hundreds of thousands of vehicles listed by a vast network of local hosts across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Australia. By removing the hassles and rigidity of the traditional rental experience, Turo lets customers choose the exact vehicle they want, pick it up where they want, and keep it for as long as they need. Turo has raised $450M+ from top-tier investors, including Kleiner Perkins, Canaan Partners, August Capital, GV, Shasta Ventures, Sumitomo Corporation, and IAC. With a talented, dedicated team, Turo is changing the way people think about travel. Discover Turo at turo.com, the App Store, and Google Play, and check out our blog, Field Notes, at blog.turo.com.
Investor
May 2014
Mobility and transportation are constantly evolving. Almost 1.3 million people die and 2.3 people get injured in road crashes every year. Traffic crashes have been an ongoing epidemic and despite advancements in technology, supportive regulatory changes, and improvements in road infrastructures, the number of traffic fatalities is still increasing. Founded 9 years ago, Zendrive is a mobility risk intelligence provider with a mission to make roads safer using data and analytics. Our patent-protected AI and machine learning algorithms turn raw smartphone sensor data into meaningful insights such as speeding, hard barking, phone usage, and even collision events. Over the past nine years, we have amassed one of the largest smartphone-centric databases of over 200 billion miles of data from over 100 million users across the globe. Our research shows that the most effective way to make roads safer and to save precious lives is to ensure improvements in driving behavior through behavioral coaching and incentives and provide timely support in the moments of truth. Right now, the most obvious and direct mechanism for behavioral improvements through incentives is by giving drivers the opportunity to earn discounts on their auto insurance based on their driving behavior. At Zendrive, we believe that your risk as a driver is better demonstrated by how you drive than by where you live and other demographic factors such as age or gender. Saving money is a powerful motivator and if Zendrive can, through engaging behavior-based driver coaching experiences, help drivers save money on car insurance then we can also take measured steps toward our mission of making roads safer using data and analytics.
Investor and Board Observer
Aug 2013
Moving the world better – that’s the backbone of everything we do. At Ridecell, we pride ourselves on helping the largest fleets in the world digitally transform their business operations to achieve their goals, no matter how big or adventurous. Our fleet automation and mobility platform modernizes and monetizes fleets by combining real-time data insights with digital vehicle control that turns manual processes into automated workflows. Imagining a world where fleets fix and run themselves is no longer a concept – it’s a reality. The results? Unmatched efficiency, unparalleled control, and complete transparency for shared services, motorpool, rental and logistic fleets who rely on vehicles and drivers to move their business forward. Today, Ridecell powers some of the most successful fleets across Europe and North America including Gig Car Share from AAA, Arval and KINTO Share by Toyota Sweden. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, with offices in Madrid, Paris, Berlin and Pune, India, Ridecell builds the technologies and solutions that unlock the full power of fleets. To learn more about our suite of solutions, visit https://ridecell.com/.
Investor
Jul 2013
We are bp pulse. We provide reliable and effortless electric charging wherever and whenever you need us. Changing the way you move, with rapid and ultra-fast charging for consumers and fleets. Well help you charge on the go, at the workplace, or at a destination. With bp pulse you can get from A – B in an EV across the UK, Germany, Netherlands, USA, China and Australia. Customer care hours are Mon – Sat 8-6. Outside of these hours call customer care 24/7 on +44 (0) 800 464 3444
Show all 17 investments ↓
Experience · 23 entries
All (23)
Investments (18)
Board (8)
2025
Partner
Aug 2025
The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is an independent venture capital firm backed by 24 NATO Allies. With a €1 billion flagship fund, the NIF will invest in advanced science and technology driven enterprises that will enhance our nations’ defence, security and resilience. For us, high-impact verticals include artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, energy & propulsion, materials science, and space. We are passionate about autonomy, new materials and quantum computing, and want to shore up cutting-edge hardware and software. We will directly invest into deep tech driven enterprises, identifying opportunities across all the 24 participating Allied nations, as well as into other funds who will help realise our mission of collective security and prosperity. Over time, the NIF’s investments will attract and encourage more like-minded investors, and help transform how nations and the private sector work together to face emerging challenges.
2021
VP Investment Management + Joint Ventures
Jul 2021
With its four brands, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2025, the BMW Group sold 2.46 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,500 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2025 was € 10.2 billion on revenues amounting to € 133,5 billion. As of 31 December 2025, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,540 employees. The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and respon-sible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products – from the supply chain through production to the end of their useful life.
2020
Investor
Feb 2020
AutoFi is the leading commerce platform for end-to-end digital automotive sales and financing, powering billions of online transactions every year. Through its innovative platform and expansive network of trusted lenders, AutoFi empowers sellers, including the nation’s top dealers and digital retailers, to sell more efficiently and profitably. Additionally, AutoFis Lending-as-a-Service API offers customized solutions that power the financing for the largest branded automotive marketplaces in the industry. For more information, visit www.autofi.com.
2019
Investor and Board Observer
Jan 2019
Zūm has reimagined student transportation— managing every vehicle, driver, passenger, parent, and ride on a single platform. We’re growing fast and looking for super-smart folks motivated to fix the nations largest mass transportation system and make a real difference for students, schools, drivers, parents and caregivers. If fixing an antiquated system hidden in plain sight excites you, drop us a note at apply@ridezum.com today.
2018
Investor and Board Member
Jul 2018
Tekion is redefining automotive retail with an end-to-end, AI-native platform purpose-built for the industry. With AI built into every workflow, Tekion delivers intelligent automation, real-time insights, and advanced decision support—driving measurable efficiency, revenue, and modern consumer experiences. As the first and fastest cloud-native platform for automotive, Tekion unites OEMs, dealers, partners, and consumers through its revolutionary suite of solutions: Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and large enterprises, and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Together, these offerings connect the entire ecosystem on a single, AI-native platform that empowers teams to operate smarter, serve faster, and scale more profitably. With AI-powered, cloud-native technology, Tekion is enabling the most seamless, transparent, and profitable retail experiences in the industry—helping automotive businesses transform how they operate today and prepare for what’s next.
Show all 23 entries ↓
Investment activity
2012–2020 · 18 investments
201222013320143201512016220174201812019120201
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