Palo Alto start-up Yoshi gets funding from General Motors and ExxonMobil

Palo Alto, Calif.-based start-up Yoshi, an on-demand car maintenance platform, has raised USD 13.7 million from General Motors Ventures and ExxonMobil, with contributions from Y Combinator, the Durant Company and Arab Angel, etc., to expand its operations to 25 additional U.S. metropolitan areas this year.

“Having the largest U.S. automaker and oil & gas company both is our idea of the ‘dream team’ and we could not be more excited,” said Yoshi CEO Nick Alexander.

Currently, Yoshi operates in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Calif., Nashville, Tenn., Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Ga., and Chicago, Ill.

“We’ve come a long way in the last couple years, and we’re going to keep pushing the bar higher. Yoshi’s mission is to keep vehicles moving in the safest, most efficient and planet-friendly way possible while delivering unparalleled customer service. We want the service to just ‘magically’ work, while still maintaining the same level of support that we had when the founders were fielding every single text request 24/7.”

Founded in 2016, Yoshi offers ExxonMobil fuels and lubricants, and other car maintenance-related services. Drivers can order the service directly from either an Android or iOS mobile app. The cost of the fuel and lubricant varies by area, with the add-on service ranging around USD 7. Customers can also choose to pay a monthly membership fee of USD 20 which includes free weekly deliveries.

“We believe Yoshi has a big opportunity to be part of the transformation underway in the automotive industry relating to how vehicles get fueled and serviced, which can more than double a vehicle’s cost over its lifetime,” he said.

“Investing in Yoshi’s fuel delivery service allows us to pilot an innovative, premium experience for our customers while integrating with the latest connected vehicle technology already onboard Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles,” said GM CTO Jon Lauckner.

GM Ventures LLC was formed in June 2010 to identify, engage and build relationships with other venture capital firms and innovative companies.

“In the future, when you buy a new car, you’ll be buying a self-fueling, self-servicing car,” added Alexander. “Yoshi’s service will come built right in.”

“The on-demand economy is changing nearly every aspect of our everyday lives, including consumer expectations about the way fuels and lubricants are purchased, delivered and used,” said Adam Wariner, fuel and lubricant innovation manager at ExxonMobil. “We believe the simplicity and convenience of this direct-to-vehicle care service will attract new customers to Exxon and Mobil-branded products.”