Motive: The AI engine powering the physical economy

The physical economy represents critical and complex industries that power our modern world. From mobilizing goods, to building infrastructure, and powering cities, it’s foundational for nearly every aspect of daily life. Yet in our increasingly modern world, the physical economy was largely left behind in the software revolution. The opportunity and obligation to change that, especially in the age of AI, has never been greater. 

From the beginning, Shoaib Makani and the Motive team recognized that software alone wouldn’t cut it. Solving real-world problems in physical industries requires a full-stack approach, one that combines connected hardware, powerful AI models, and seamless workflows purpose-built for the field.

That vision has only expanded. Today, Motive’s platform powers essential industries delivered by small businesses all the way through Fortune 500 companies. Customer momentum is driven by the adoption of Motive’s enterprise suite across safety, compliance, spend management, maintenance, and beyond.

At the core of this momentum is its advanced AI platform. Motive processes billions of data points from sensors, vehicles, and equipment to enable real-time decision-making, automatically detecting unsafe driving, flagging maintenance issues, optimizing routing, and preventing fraud. This is AI that saves lives, creates efficiencies, and improves how the real world works.

Motive has scaled with discipline, expanded with ambition, and continued to innovate while staying close to the needs of its customers. I’ve been proud to partner with the team since 2015, and today am thrilled to lead their latest round and rejoin the board to support their next phase of growth.

— ilya