The Drivery expanded to Yokohama and opened a new location as ‘The Drivery Japan’ on November 11 in conjunction with the opening of ‘TECH HUB YOKOHAMA’, the City’s tech startup support center. It is a co-creation hub connecting next-generation mobility innovators in Europe and Asia, offering rental offices and co-working spaces on a membership basis, and growth support by experts for both large companies and start-ups, covering all stages from new business development to demonstration experiments and overseas expansion. In collaboration with the City of Yokohama, the hub will also provide ‘Mobility Spot Consulting’, a consultation support service for startups and companies seeking to create new businesses or conduct demonstration tests in the mobility field in Yokohama.

The Drivery was established in 2018 in Berlin, Germany, and operates an innovation center specializing in the mobility field. 12,000 m² of space allow for manufacturing facilities for prototype production and small-scale driving tests. About 130 startups, large companies, engineers, investors, and others from around the world gather at the center, which supports the creation of new businesses through exchange and collaboration. For example, it offers an ‘Innovation program’ to support collaboration between companies and start-ups, from matchmaking to seamless integration of new technologies.

Since its founding, the company has raised over 6 billion € in total funding and has produced three unicorn companies, including TIER, an electric kickboard company. In December 2023, the City of Yokohama has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Drivery.

The author first visited the facility of The Drivery in Berlin three years ago and met with CEO Timon Rupp. At that time, he stated: “We want to establish The Drivery facilities around the world to understand the various ecosystems, learn about their needs, and eventually form a ‘global brain’. The opening in Yokohama has impressively followed this statement as it is the third The Drivery facility outside of Germany, following those in China and Korea.

At the end of November, the author again met with Mr. Timon Rupp, who spoke enthusiastically about the reasons for this investment in Yokohama and his expectations for the future of The Drivery in Yokohama.

【Interview with the CEO of The Drivery, Mr. Timon Rupp】

Q　 Why did you choose to invest in Yokohama, out of all the places in Japan?

　A　 There are two reasons. The mayor of Yokohama had paid a visit to The Drivery, and through various exchanges and collaborations, trust was built, so we feel that Yokohama City understands the spirit of open innovation and actually has a program for it. We also felt that Yokohama already has a large concentration of mobility players, including global manufacturers and suppliers, and would be an excellent base from which to further solidify our ecosystem.

Q　What are your expectations for the future of The Drivery Japan？

　A　 We have already succeeded in building a local community through the organization of events. There are also several POC projects, which show effectiveness in market development. From there, scaling is important. We want to increase the number of success stories, make The Drivery Japan an important network, and make Yokohama a major global hub in our ecosystem. It is also important to establish software and hardware capability. Currently, The Drivery Japan is not equipped with a manufacturing space, but is looking into the possibility for that.

Q　 What is your goal for The Drivery Japan？

　A　 In the short term, we are looking to attract about 1,000 members to The Drivery Japan. We are thinking in three steps: the community we are forming in Yokohama, the space we are utilizing, and finally the innovation we are creating together.

Q　 What are your thoughts on the possibility of European startups entering the Japanese market through The Drivery Japan?

　A　 Currently, Europe has several major problems. One is the administrative and legal aspects that pose a challenge for realizing prototype demonstrations in markets such as automated driving and drones. Therefore, there is a great deal of interest in expanding overseas where demonstration opportunities are being offered. Second is the financial aspect. In Europe, funds are limited due to the sluggish economic situation. Investment from Japan is a major attraction, and everyone dreams of acquiring funds from Japan. For these reasons, European companies and others are actively looking overseas, and we believe that this is a big opportunity for Yokohama.

Q　 What are the key points for European startups to expand to Yokohama/Japan?

　A　 Above all, it is important to manage expectations and be patient. It is essential to approach Japan with an open mindset, and not to be excited or discouraged too quickly. It is important to give focus to the market suitability of the product, which requires a learning phase. Innovation requires time. It should start with taking the time to build trust and match products, and The Drivery is always there to help prepare for this. After all we have built our relationship with Yokohama with patience and an open mind.

The City of Yokohama will use the opening of The Drivery Japan and the tech startup support center ‘ TECH HUB YOKOHAMA ‘ as an opportunity to further promote and attract mobility innovation.