Autotech Ventures taps Daniel Hoffer to expand mobility marketplace and consumer services expertise
Autotech Ventures announced that early-stage venture capital investor and former entrepreneur, Daniel Hoffer, has joined the firm as a Managing Director. Autotech Ventures is a specialist firm focused on investing in revolutionary transportation technologies and business models targeting the $3 trillion ground transportation market. Hoffer’s experience will expand the firm’s mobility marketplace, software, and consumer services expertise.
Prior to joining Autotech Ventures, Hoffer’s investment-related experience included roles as a Partner at seed firm Tandem Capital, as a member of the corporate venture capital team at Concur (acquired by SAP), and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Benchmark Capital. As an entrepreneur, Daniel co-founded and served as CEO of global travel pioneer CouchSurfing International which raised over $25M from Benchmark Capital, General Catalyst, Menlo Ventures, and Point Nine Capital, among others. He also held executive roles managing multiple product lines at Concur and Symantec, and he continues to serve as the founder and lead organizer of the annual Marketplace Conference in San Francisco.
“Autotech Ventures has established itself as the leader in their industry with a compelling, clear, and differentiated value proposition,” said Hoffer. “Having worked closely with them on several deals over the last few years, I’ve been impressed by their approach to investing and by the value they deliver to their portfolio. I’m thrilled to join the team.”
Hoffer was a seed or pre-seed stage investor in several companies in the mobility sector including SpotHero, which subsequently became an Autotech portfolio company during their Series C, as well as Firefly and XStream Trucking.
“Even before he joined our team, we had the pleasure of working with Dan on more than one deal,” notes Autotech Ventures Managing Director, Quin Garcia. “His portfolio company CEOs consistently said glowing things about him as a value-add investor they trust and respect. Dan’s expertise in marketplaces and consumer-oriented startups complements our existing focus areas, and we’re excited to have someone of his caliber focusing on the transportation sector with us here at Autotech.”
Autotech Ventures Managing Director Alexei Andreev adds, “We’ve not only been impressed by Dan’s investment judgment but also by the rich perspective he brings from his experience as a former founder, public company executive, and investor. We are delighted to welcome him to our team.”
The addition of Dan Hoffer to the investment team follows the addition of former US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and iconic automotive industry analyst Maryann Keller to the advisory board earlier this year.