West Herr Ventures has staked out a clear, differentiated position: backing the infrastructure that empowers people across the unsoftwared retail automotive stack. The founders worth funding rarely need capital first — they need rapid distribution, pilot validation, and a champion on the shop floor.
This proposal lays out a structured advisory framework to actively scout, vet, and source high-conviction pre-seed and seed-stage investments that map directly to that thesis — drawing on a background built inside go-to-market and early-stage scaling, not just around it.
The standard assumption that dealerships stay the primary "experience centers" runs into two existential headwinds over the next decade. The thesis below treats them not as a threat to underwrite around, but as the reason West Herr's infrastructure bet is the right one.
As autonomous ride-hailing scales, vehicle ownership shifts from default necessity to premium utility. One AV replaces several personally owned cars, shrinking the volume of retail unit sales and the physical footprint needed to support them.
High-quality, ultra-affordable EVs from international markets will breach the US ecosystem. They run on razor-thin hardware margins, lean on direct-to-consumer digital sales, and treat the vehicle as a rolling software platform rather than a mechanical asset.
If physical dealership footprints become less valuable, the value migrates from the showroom floor to the network infrastructure. Back the software, data rails, and logistics platforms that turn legacy retail assets into the mission-critical hubs for autonomous fleets and multi-brand EV ecosystems.
When consumers stop buying cars, the new buyers are enterprise fleets — AV operators, fractional ownership platforms, corporate subscription networks.
Cheap EVs and high-utilization ride-hailers see accelerated wear and need specialized, rapid service that single-brand franchise mechanics can't deliver.
The legacy F&I stack is built around one consumer signing a 72-month loan in a physical office. In a post-ownership world, risk gets priced per mile, per minute, or per fleet batch.
Diagnostics, battery health telemetry, high-voltage training platforms, and parts logistics software.
Back-end infrastructure for fractional access, subscription models, and embedded, on-demand insurance.
Rebuilding the brittle DMS layer and modernizing workflow automation to finally retire faxes and legacy spreadsheets.
Rather than competing in saturated Silicon Valley pipelines, the routing below targets industrial tech hubs, mobility research clusters, and secondary markets that fit West Herr's affinity for overlooked talent.
The undisputed center of gravity for legacy auto talent — ideal for sourcing engineers leaving OEMs to build B2B infrastructure.
Exceptional density of supply chain, fleet logistics, and unbundled insurance infrastructure startups.
The natural hunting ground for founders rebuilding the payment and F&I rails for auto retail.
A powerhouse for heavy tech, hardware-adjacent software, and predictive maintenance tools born out of CMU.
The epicenter of the consumer EV transition, subscription mobility pilots, and digital marketplace tech.
| Event | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| MOVE America Austin, TX |
A premier platform for next-generation mobility, fleet management, and tech infrastructure founders. |
| AutoTech: Detroit Novi, MI |
Pure focus on software-defined vehicles, telematics, and digital cockpit / connected services technology. |
| NADA Show National |
Heavily enterprise, but valuable for reverse-engineering gaps — see what dealers complain about, then scout the Innovation alley. |
| InsureTech Connect Las Vegas, NV |
The major gathering for modern insurance tech — crucial for finding embedded, on-demand insurance founders. |
| Plug and Play Mobility Silicon Valley / Detroit |
Batch demo days that give early access to pre-seed and seed teams before rounds get competitive. |
The right structure depends on how much of West Herr's top-of-funnel you want owned versus advised. Below, four models in ascending order of commitment and equity alignment.
An external radar system for the fund. The core metric is high-conviction pipeline volume — finding hidden, pre-seed teams building the retail auto tech, F&I, or fleet logistics stack before mainstream VCs spot them. This means traveling to secondary hubs, vetting teams against West Herr's five core beliefs, and handing off pristine, ready-to-invest deal memos to Matt. The role runs entirely on personal network and founder-level credibility — maximum execution freedom, and Matt's time stays protected for closing and portfolio management.
A structured, project-based consulting relationship that blends deal sourcing with hands-on ecosystem building. Beyond introductions, this means helping West Herr-backed companies reach pilot readiness — mapping go-to-market strategy and structuring distribution into the broader West Herr dealership and service network. A set block of time per month (e.g., 10–15 hours a week) representing the fund at events like MOVE or InsureTech Connect. Compensation pairs a steady monthly retainer with fractional equity or carry on sourced deals — cash flow and long-term alignment, without corporate overhead.
Full ownership of the entire top-of-funnel pipeline, embedded in daily fund operations. This means establishing, systemizing, and running West Herr's outward-facing sourcing machine — tracking data across automotive accelerators, managing inbound founder flow, and coordinating travel and event strategy year-round. Operator background extends naturally into post-investment portfolio support: sitting on boards, mentoring founders through early sales hires, and helping them scale from seed to Series A. Comes with a standard corporate salary, full benefits, and an institutional slice of carry across the fund's entire vintage.
A shift from executing a sourcing strategy to co-writing the investment playbook and making fund-level capital allocation decisions alongside Matt. This means pitching deals to the investment committee, negotiating term sheets, leading diligence, and standing behind every dollar deployed. The founder background becomes a core marketing asset for the fund itself — signaling that West Herr is built by operators, for operators. Compensation is weighted toward long-term wealth creation through a meaningful share of the fund's overall carried interest, with a direct financial stake in every company the fund backs.
The early-stage opportunity in retail automotive is real, but it's scattered across hubs most funds aren't watching. This engagement puts a dedicated scout on the ground — one with the GTM background to vet pilots before they reach the partnership.
Open to discussing scope, cadence, and carry structure at your convenience.