VCs Autotech, Y Combinator outpace others in fintech infusions (Under the Hood)

Autotech Ventures and Y Combinato r were the most active of the 124 auto fintech backers last year, according to Auto Finance News data. Early-stage venture capital firm Autotech Ventures invested in four of the 39 fintechs that received new funds , while startup accelerator Y Combinator invested in three. Trinity Capital , Clocktower Ventures and HSBC each contributed capital to two fintechs. The remaining 100-plus investors made lone transactions. Notably, a lack of public data detailing individual contribution amounts from multiple backers in a single investment hinders the ability to tally total investment amounts by firm. Last year, Autotech Ventures co-led three investments and contributed to a fourth, with a combined face value of $107.5 million. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based mobility VC has more than $500 million of assets under management and, according to the company, aims to solve the world’s ground transport challenges with technology. Autotech’s notable investments include rideshare behemoth Lyft , digital parking marketplace SpotHero and peer-to-peer online RV rental platform Outdoorsy . Together with 8VC , Munich Re Ventures and Weatherford Capital , Autotech contributed to a $40 million investment into AI insurtech High Definition Vehicle Insurance . HDVI is a fleet-focused insurance provider that assigns premiums based on driving behaviors. Autotech was also a leading investor in United Kingdom-based Bumper , a SaaS platform and digital payments provider for car retailers and manufacturers. Other investors in the $10.8 million series B extension round were Suzuki Global Ventures , Porsche Ventures , JLR ’s InMotion Ventures and Shell Ventures . Auto company investments Additionally, Autotech participated with Floodgate and A* in a $6.7 million seed funding round for online EV sales marketplace Plug . Serving 400 dealers and commercial consignors, Plug has facilitated $60 million in wholesale EV sales since early 2024. Earlier this month, Autotech again invested in Plug, in a $20 million s eries A round led by Lightspeed . Of the fintech investments Autotech participated in last year, the one with the highest face value was a $50 million infusion into vehicle-secured credit card provider Yendo . As part of the raise, Lyft co-founder Logan Green , an Autotech venture partner, was named to Yendo’s board. Other backers in the round were Clocktower Ventures, FPV Ventures , Mark Cuban , Pelion Venture Partners and Spice Expeditions , which also named a board member. Y Combinator investments Meanwhile, the face value of the three investments in which Y Combinator participated was $87.6 million. Unlike many other VCs, San Francisco-based Y Combinator typically invests a standard sum — $500,000 — in exchange for a 7% equity stake in the company plus an extra amount determined after the fintech raises money from other investors. YC, as it’s called, also provides structured mentorship and networking opportunities for startup founders. Some of its highest valued alumni include online payments fintech Stripe , self-driving car technology company Cruise , online grocery delivery service Instacart and accommodations marketplace Airbnb . Y Combinator participated in a $60 million series A round for EV sales company Salient and a $17.3 million seed-A round for vehicle commerce platform Ekho . Salient has processed more than $1 billion in transactions for lenders including American Credit Acceptance , Consumer Portfolio Services , Exeter Finance , Westlake Financial and three publicly listed banks. Ekho enables dealers to sell, finance and register powersports vehicles nationwide, automating DMV paperwork, taxes, insurance and financing. Salient’s capital raise included Andreesen Horowitz , Matrix Partners and Michael Ovitz , while Ekho’s funding round was led by Activant Capital , with participation from JPMorgan Payments and Winnebago Industries , among others. Y Combinator also contributed to a $10.3 million series A round for Momento Seguros , a Mexican auto insurer. Additional round participants were Foundation Capital , HSCM Ventures and Clocktower Ventures, which was also a joint investor in Yendo. Trinity, HSBC investments Aside from Clocktower, Trinity and HSBC also invested in two deals each last year. Trinity provided a $150 million debt facility for UVeye , an Israeli company that provides AI-powered vehicle inspection systems to Amazon and CarMax , along with car dealers and manufacturers. Trinity also provided $35 million of financing for Inshur , a digital insurance platform providing commercial auto insurance tailored for taxi, TLC and rideshare drivers. Meanwhile, HSBC was a contributor to a $251 million series B round for Zolve , a Houston-based neobank that provides financial access to high-skilled and high-spending global citizens moving to the United States. HSBC also provided a line of credit to Kavak , a Mexican used-car buying and selling startup. In 2024, financial backers topped out at two investments apiece. Seven VC firms backed a pair of the 38 fintechs that received money, and another 136 venture capitalists stuck with single investments. And eight companies — Accel , Accion , HV Capital , Matrix Partners , PayPal Ventures , Seaya Ventures , Upper90 and Valar Ventures — were active investors in both 2024 and 2025. Ultimately, repeat venture capitalists in the sector are few and far between. And despite a 14% year-over-year bump in overall auto fintech investment dollars, the number of VCs fell 13%. Auto Finance News will present multiple invaluable events for industry professionals in 2026, starting with Auto Finance Summit East and Auto Finance Capital Summit in May. To see event agendas and register, visit autofinance.live .

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VCs Autotech, Y Combinator outpace others in fintech infusions (Under the Hood)

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