Ford Invests $182M in Software Company to Advance Mobility, Driver-assist Technologies

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After partnering with San Francisco-based Pivotal on an on-demand shuttle service and a digital platform offering mobility services, Ford Motor Co. announced is investing more than $182 million in the cloud-based software company to further enhance its software development capabilities.

“Our investment in Pivotal will help strengthen our ability to deliver these customer experiences at the speed of Silicon Valley, including continually expanding FordPass — our digital, physical, and personal mobility experience platform,” says Mark Fields, president and CEO of Ford.

Fields says Ford plans to build on its existing relationship with Pivotal to accelerate the incorporation of its software development methodologies and technology across the information technology, product development, and research and advanced engineering teams.

Fields says Ford and Pivotal plan to open new software labs in locations in both the U.S. and Europe. The labs will be staffed with software architects, engineers, and user experience experts.

“Today we are at a major inflection point in global business, and Pivotal is at the fulcrum of that change,” says Rob Mee, CEO of Pivotal. “We are collaborating with iconic companies like Ford to help transform their businesses with our unique software development methodology and modern cloud platform and analytics tools.”

Mee says Pivotal’s software will support Ford’s EcoBoost engines, the Sync 3 connectivity system, and driver-assist technologies like active park assist.

Ford partnered with Pivotal earlier to launch FordPass, which offers customers services through a smartphone app including parking and car sharing. The automaker is also working with Pivotal on its Dynamic Shuttle service for employees at its Dearborn campus that offers point-to-point on-demand rides, along with GoDrive, an on-demand public car-sharing pilot in London.

Ford’s investment comes as part of Pivotal’s Series C financing round, raising $253 million in new cash. Other investors include Microsoft and GE, among others.​