# HELLA Ventures

HELLA Ventures is a Venture Capital based in San Francisco, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** San Francisco, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2015
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** hellaventures.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/hella-ventures-llc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 2015, HELLA Ventures is multi-stage venture capital fund focused on mobility, deep tech, and industrial manufacturing investments. In addition to our automotive expertise, we leverage HELLA as an industrialization and/or channel partner into the automotive industry to maximize our portfolio companies’ success.

## Sectors

- Mobility & Transportation
- Industrial Tech
- Enterprise Software
- AI/ML

## People

- Jason Waterman — Founder
- Jens Hunecke — CEO of HELLA Electronics and head of HELLA Corporate Center USA
- Ben Cohen — Vice President at FORVIA HELLA

## Questions

### What is HELLA Ventures' relationship to FORVIA and HELLA GmbH?

HELLA Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA, the German automotive parts supplier specializing in lighting, electronics, and sensing technology. Following the 2022 merger of Faurecia and HELLA, the combined entity operates as FORVIA, which now serves as the ultimate parent company. The venture unit invests HELLA's corporate balance sheet directly into early-stage companies, rather than managing third-party limited partner capital.

### Who runs investment decisions at HELLA Ventures?

Investment oversight falls under Jens Hunecke, CEO of HELLA Electronics and head of HELLA Corporate Center USA, who leads the ventures team. Ben Cohen serves as Vice President at FORVIA HELLA, directing venture activities across the Americas. The unit's founder, Jason Waterman, established HELLA Ventures in 2015 and served as its Managing Director.

### Does HELLA Ventures invest only in automotive technology?

While mobility and transportation form the core of the mandate, the firm also invests in enterprise software, applied AI, and industrial technology. These adjacent areas serve the parent's broader electronics manufacturing capabilities. Sectors explicitly outside the firm's scope include consumer internet, fintech, and life sciences.

### How does HELLA Ventures source deal flow?

Deal flow originates through several channels: the parent company's existing relationships with automotive OEMs and tier-two suppliers, the unit's membership in the Michigan Venture Capital Association and the German American Business Association, and the team's direct presence in San Francisco's early-stage ecosystem. Corporate venture mandates often lack the marketing apparatus of independent funds, so HELLA Ventures relies heavily on the technical executives within HELLA to surface relevant start-ups.

### How does HELLA Ventures differentiate from other automotive corporate venture arms?

The unit's most notable structural feature is the parent company's ability to serve as both design partner and future customer for portfolio companies. HELLA's engineering teams in Lippstadt, Germany can validate sensor, lighting, and embedded software technologies during due diligence, providing a technical underwriting capability that purely financial investors cannot replicate. Martin Rudigier, a former HELLA Ventures principal, subsequently joined portfolio company Apex.AI, illustrating the tight operational integration the unit maintains with its investments.

## Related profiles

- [Helix Kapital](https://altss.com/profile/helix-kapital)
- [Hellenic Business Angels Network](https://altss.com/profile/hellenic-business-angels-network)

---

Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/hella-ventures

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology