Denso has announced its Silicon Valley office’s partnership with Plug and Play, the “world’s largest innovation platform”. Denso joins 40 other automotive players, including Ford, Bosch, Nissan, and Toyota Financial Services, as corporate partners in Plug and Play’s Mobility Program.
“While we’ve been more self-sufficient in the past, Denso is embracing open innovation to bolster our technology portfolio to keep pace with the rapid changes in the automotive industry,” said Bill Foy, senior vice president of Engineering at Denso’s North American headquarters. “We’re thrilled to join the Plug and Play platform, so we can strategically evaluate new partners and opportunities that allow us to quickly and flexibly develop unique solutions that meet the needs of our customers.”
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Denso looks to partner with startups that provide a necessary automotive solution or innovative technology with potentially significant implications for the future of transportation. Specifically, the company will work with Plug and Play’s network of promising startups to accelerate its business and technology development in four core areas: connectivity, autonomous driving, shared mobility and electrification (CASE).
As a member of the Plug and Play ecosystem, Denso will also contribute firsthand to the growth and success of the startups and entrepreneurs involved. Last year, Japan-based Denso Corporation partnered with Plug and Play Japan.
Founded in 2006, Plug and Play now operates in 26 locations worldwide. It runs industry-specific accelerator programs that connect startups to forward-thinking corporations for business development and investment opportunities. Startups that have seen great success with the help of Plug and Play and its corporate partners include PayPal and DropBox.
“Our talented teams in Denso’s Silicon Valley and Tokyo offices are embracing open innovation and working closely alongside Plug and Play to identify and establish partnerships with already-vetted startups that can accelerate our long-term vision of creating a safe and secure future of mobility for all,” said Foy.
Denso participated in its first Plug and Play Summit on 11 July 2018, in downtown Detroit. At the all-day event, Denso executives and other corporate partners met with 20 startups, who presented and demonstrated how their emerging technologies are impacting mobility.
