Our Team
Jim Disanto PARTNERJim is a Silicon Valley veteran entrepreneur, with focus on mainly enterprise software, mobile applications, location-based services, sensors and automotive systems. During the past decade, Jim co-founded and led KonaWare, a pioneer in mobile applications for transportation and logistics, which he sold to Yamei Electronics of Beijing in 2009. Jim joined Yamei as a board director/GM and formed strategic partnerships with auto OEMs and Tier1s. Yamei was acquired by Trimble Navigation in 2011. Prior to this, Jim co-founded Simplexity Wireless, a leading MVNO with revenue in excess of $400 million annually; and Vicinity (VCNT), one of the first web location-based services, which went public in 2000, and was purchased by Microsoft (for MapPoint) in 2002.
Jim is the co-founder Motus Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm focusing on AI, Robotics and IoT. Jim serves or has served in various capacities as a Board Member/Observer and Advisor to companies including Waze, Auto-Talks, Quanergy, MemryX, Metawave and Argus Cyber Security. During his career that has spanned over 25 years, Jim has formed extensive executive and technical level relationships with auto OEMs, T1 suppliers, logistics firms, global industrial manufacturers, fleet management providers, telecommunications operators and suppliers, university and government research organizations, and more. In addition, Jim has built collaborative partnerships with research groups within the University of California system (UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Riverside), Stanford, and University of Michigan, and with private research institutions (e.g. PARC), resulting in the commercialization of technology and founding of new businesses. Jim earned B.S. degrees in both Aerospace and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan, and an MBA at Stanford University. Jim resides in Portola Valley and has two daughters, one attending Stanford and one at Michigan. He spends some of his spare time snowboarding, sailing, golfing and tending his vineyard. |
SCIENCE ADVISORS Dr Nathan Lewis, Caltech Dr Friedrich Prinz, Stanford |
