Lear partners with Plug and Play Silicon Valley

Lear Corporation, a global automotive technology leader in seating and electrical and electronic systems, and Plug and Play, a global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, announced a strategic partnership focused on advancing mobility innovation in the automotive industry.

The partnership will be coordinated through the Silicon Valley office of Lear Innovation Ventures (LIV) in San Mateo, California.

This relationship provides Lear with the opportunity to collaborate with and mentor startups in the Plug and Play ecosystem and heightens Lear's involvement in the mobility technology space. Plug and Play has developed global accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and an in-house venture capital (VC) fund to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before.

“Plug and Play is well known globally for its ability to attract the best startups and investments across a variety of technical industries,” said John Absmeier, Lear's Chief Technology Officer. “The purpose of LIV is finding the best collaborative opportunities to enhance the future of mobility and user experiences. We are looking forward to joining this ecosystem and helping the next wave of startups flourish.”

“We are thrilled to connect disruptive startup technologies with Lear's industry leading interior automotive systems. The combination will serve as a powerful force in the future of the mobility experience,” said Candace Widdoes, Chief Operating Officer at Plug and Play.

LIV focuses on product, process and business model innovation and is centred on intensifying activities around the autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility trends. LIV creates an environment for asking big questions and finding the best solutions. The LIV ecosystem is varied and vibrant, ranging from leveraging Lear's entire 169,000-member global team, to collaborations with world­ class businesses, to connecting with outside partners from the startup, accelerator and incubator, design and venture communities.