BlackBerry IVY innovation fund to drive transportation

Announced in December 2020 as part of a multi-year, global agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), BlackBerry IVY is a scalable, cloud-connected software platform that will allow automakers to provide a consistent and secure way to read vehicle sensor data, normalise it, and create actionable insights from that data both locally in the vehicle and in the cloud.  Automakers can use this information to create responsive in-vehicle services that enhance driver and passenger experiences. 

The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund’s mission is to accelerate the expansion of the BlackBerry IVY ecosystem with innovative transportation solutions. The Fund will initially allocate up to $50 million to invest in start-ups focused on developing data-driven solutions that can benefit from BlackBerry IVY’s AI insights and support from BlackBerry and AWS.  

The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund will provide portfolio companies with access to BlackBerry’s strong automotive and cybersecurity domain expertise. They will also have access to up to $100,000 in AWS credits through AWS Activate, a program that has helped hundreds of thousands of early stage start-ups accelerate their growth and development. This includes access to the Activate Console, a self-service platform that connects start-ups to insights, technical guidance, and more to help them build their businesses.  

The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund underscores BlackBerry’s commitment to developing the BlackBerry IVY ecosystem to allow OEMs, smart mobility providers, fleet operators, and developers alike to leverage the rich insights from the next generation of intelligent connected vehicles.  

“The connected vehicle market is evolving with a tremendous rate of innovation. BlackBerry IVY has the potential to play a pivotal role in enabling a rich ecosystem of solutions that improve and enhance driver and passenger experiences and ultimately revolutionise the way we get from A to B,” said Vito Giallorenzo, SVP Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships, BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund will be a powerful tool to enable both established and start-up partners to benefit from BlackBerry IVY’s powerful data insights and help us drive advancements across the entire transportation industry.” 

“BlackBerry IVY is reinventing the automotive customer experience by transforming vehicles from fixed pieces of technology into systems that grow and adapt with a user’s needs,” added Sarah Cooper, General Manager of Outcome Driven Engineering at Amazon Web Services. “The BlackBerry IVY Innovation Fund is an important step in creating the community of developers and inspiring the ingenuity from start-ups that will drive innovation forward.”