Mercedes Forced Outside The Box In Search For Next Big Thing

By Elisabeth Behrmann
Bloomberg

The co-founder of Noveto Systems Ltd. had five minutes to impress some 1,000 auto executives, venture capitalists and fellow entrepreneurs with his startup’s novel audio system. At stake, a potential supply deal with Mercedes-Benz.

After a tentative beginning, Tomer Shani asked the crowd in Stuttgart, Germany, to “imagine a world without headphones and wires,” where speakers beam sound directly to a listener’s ears, imperceptible to others close by. He then invited everyone to test it firsthand in a Mercedes S-Class sedan in a corner of the exhibition hall.

The gathering, sponsored by Mercedes parent Daimler AG, featured presentations from each of the 13 firms that emerged from an innovation hub the carmaker helped set up last year. Beyond showcasing cutting-edge electronics, the event underscored how automakers – long viewed as slow-moving giants – have begun to adjust as technology disrupts their industry.“We have to talk about a new structure of partners and suppliers,” said Sajjad Khan, vice president of Digital Vehicle & Mobility at Daimler. “Nowadays, we have to handle agile startups, small software-driven companies or even individuals with innovative ideas.”

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