Mobility Threads
ai × mobility × venture capital
By Esat · Launched 2 years ago
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Hit the RoadEsat
Canli
VC, AI & Mobility
About
Currently, I am the Founding Chief of Staff and Head of Middle East at EchoTwin AI, a physical AI company deploying VLM-based intelligence technology for municipal clients across the UAE, Qatar, and the US. I spearheaded the company's $8M seed round with Metis Ventures as lead investor alongside Plug and Play, Eksim Ventures, Automotive Ventures, and HL Ventures. I also directed its first-of-a-kind physical AI hardware deployments across the UAE and Qatar, and currently lead its Middle East expansion.
I spent approximately five years at Autotech Ventures, a $600M mobility-focused VC fund in Menlo Park, California, where I evaluated thousands of mobility startups and led, sourced or co-led ~$30M in investments across 10+ transactions, including companies that went on to IPO on the NYSE, be acquired, and raise Series A and B rounds from prominent funds.
I began my career in venture capital at Revo Capital, shaping the firm's 5-year fintech investment strategy, and served as a fellow with 500 Global sourcing founders in Silicon Valley.
Early on I also worked at Boston Consulting Group, advising a multi-billion dollar conglomerate on consumer marketplace strategy. I had a short tenure at Ernst & Young advising Turkish manufacturers on international expansion.
Beyond investing and operating, I co-founded 180 Degrees Consulting, operating in partnership with McKinsey & Company, growing it into the largest student-led consulting nonprofit in MENA with 1,000+ members and alumni across five continents.
I trained as an Industrial and Systems engineer in the United States and Turkey, focusing on AI/ML systems, supply chain, transportation and operations research. I graduated from Boğaziçi University (3.4 GPA), Turkey's leading engineering college with a top percentile acceptance rate, and have attended Istanbul Technical University (3.8 GPA), and spent a semester at the University of Oklahoma.
Mentoring Startups With
Fellow
Press
Selected coverage and conversations on AI, mobility, and venture.
Appearance and Impact
Speaking engagements, panels, podcast appearances, and press.
Speaking · GITEX2026
How EchoTwin AI Approaches Physical AI
Speaking2026
Physical AI for the Public Sector
Podcast · Çıtayı Yükseltenler2026
Çıtayı Yükseltenler
Feature · Hub712026
Hub71 — 18th Cohort
Talk2025
Alumni Talks
Keynote SpeakerMay 2026
Saudi Intermobility Expo
PressSep 2025
EchoTwin AI — $8M Seed Round
Feature
Autotech Ventures — Portfolio Spotlight
2024Feature
Autotech Ventures — Market Visit
2024
Event2024
Mobility Summit
Press · TechCrunch
Autotech Ventures — $230M Mobility Fund
Apr 2023Press · The Fintech Times
Autotech Ventures Expands into UAE
2024Press
Tadweer Group — AI Environmental Pilot
2025Press · Webrazzi
Teknosa — Marketplace Launch
Mar 2022Articles
Research briefs and writing on physical AI, mobility, venture infrastructure, and how markets actually move.
Research Briefs
Research Brief · Physical AI 2026
Physical AI Turns City Fleets Into Operating Systems
The next generation of smart-city infrastructure will not be built around dashboards alone. It will be built around sensing fleets, contextual AI, and closed-loop operations.
Read brief Research Brief · Automotive AI 2026
Automotive AI Agents Are Not a Voice Feature. They Are a Workflow Layer.
The real opportunity in dealership AI is not answering the phone. It is turning conversations into structured, integrated workflows across service, sales, parts, and F&I.
Read brief Research Brief · Auto Commerce 2026
Extended Warranty Is Becoming a Software Market
Vehicle service contracts sit at the intersection of dealer economics, consumer trust, underwriting, claims, repair complexity, and software. That makes the category more interesting than it looks.
Read brief Research Brief · Mobility Intelligence 2026
Vehicle Prognostics and the Next Layer of Fleet Intelligence
Connected vehicles, telematics, battery systems, and AI are turning maintenance from a calendar-based process into a predictive operating discipline.
Read brief Research Brief · GCC and Mobility 2026
The Gulf as a Mobility Technology Testbed
The Gulf is not only a source of capital. It is becoming a live environment for testing AI, mobility, infrastructure, logistics, and public-sector technology at speed.
Read brief Research Brief · VC Infrastructure 2026
How Venture Funds Can Use AI to Review Thousands of Startups
AI will not replace investment judgment, but it can make venture firms better at collecting signals, routing companies, preserving memory, and learning from missed opportunities.
Read brief Research Brief · Fintech and Auto Commerce 2026
Fintech Infrastructure in Auto Commerce
Auto commerce is not only about selling cars online. It is a financial infrastructure market spanning lending, payments, insurance, F&I, repairs, warranties, and dealer operations.
Read brief Research Brief · Logistics 2026
Logistics Software Is Moving From Visibility to Decisioning
The next logistics software layer will not only show where freight is. It will help operators decide what to do, automate workflows, and manage financial consequences.
Read brief Research Brief · Venture Capital 2026
What Series A Data Can Teach a Sector-Focused VC
A sector fund cannot rely only on inbound deal flow. It needs to measure market coverage, understand missed opportunities, and build feedback loops around company formation.
Read brief Research Brief · Autonomy 2026
Off-Road Autonomy Is Where Autonomy Gets Practical
The most investable autonomy markets may not be the most cinematic. Off-road, industrial, yard, mining, agriculture, construction, and logistics environments can offer clearer operating constraints and faster ROI.
Read briefElsewhere
Jun 29, 2025 · Mobility Threads
A Hot Qatar Summer - Anti-Fragility & Startups
Missiles overhead. Airspaces shutting down. 45°C heat. Dozens of installations. And somehow, we’re still holding it all together. Writing this from a hotel room I’m stuck in Doha. Postcards below.
Read article
May 26, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Special Edition: New Tracks Ahead - Release #8
This edition is coming to you as I await to board my flight. New horizons and a sh*t ton of work to do.
Read article
Mar 7, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #7
Why consumer tech doesn't feel like magic anymore, robotics continues to be the top category across verticals in 2025; Oh, and if there's anyone I should meet in Dubai; let me know.
Read article
Jan 30, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #6
In Istanbul, Turkey with Burak Cendek on the potential of emerging markets. On the road in Dubai next week!
Read article
Jan 17, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #5
Duffy confirmation hearing, what a TikTok ban might mean for dealers, B2B connectivity gaining traction; quantum chips in Europe and simulation is finally gaining mainstream attention.
Read article
Jan 10, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #4
LA wildfire to increase premiums, investors looking beyond auto in transport. Strategic acquisitions driving liquidity, robo-labor is hitting the market, and why dealers need vector databases.
Read article
Jan 2, 2025 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #3
Vertical AI will DWARF Vertical SaaS. Khazanah making moves in AI. Satya Nadella believes agents will replace ALL software. Open AI & Microsoft links AGI to profits.
Read article
Dec 19, 2024 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads | Release #2
google makes printing "hello world" way faster, you're pitching your ai startup all wrong. Loadar. Synthavo, RL and more. Happy holidays.
Read article
Dec 12, 2024 · Mobility Threads
Mobility Threads: Inaugural Release
Release #1 | all things ai x mobility x venture capital. Let’s roll.
Read article
Aug 10, 2023 · LinkedIn
Berkson's Paradox & VC Deal Selection
I briefly encountered Berkson's Paradox (or collider bias) during my college years, but at that time, I struggled to fully comprehend it. Perhaps my motivation wasn't strong enough, or maybe the concept was just too intricate for me to grasp.
Read articleRelated Transactions
Selected transactions from Autotech Ventures ($600M AUM). Sourced or co-led $33.5M across 13 companies.
Mobility Threads
Dispatches on physical AI, VC & the future of movement.
Gallery
Moments from the field — deployments, people, and places along the way.