Thomas
von der Ohe

Co-Founder, CEO

WHAT DRIVES ME

You come across an opportunity to positively impact societies around the globe maybe once in your lifetime. An opportunity to truly make a difference. Our unique approach to autonomous driving gives us this chance: redefining how people move in a better way. Building and shipping a product with this great team is what drives me day and night.

BACKGROUND

Launched Zoox’ first self-driving vehicle on public streets as leading Technical Program Manager in Silicon Valley, launched Amazon’s first Echo as leading Technical Program Manager on Device Software, Founded two (funded) mobility companies. M. Sc. Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University.

Fabrizio
Scelsi

Co-Founder, VP Engineering

WHAT DRIVES ME

Building products together with an amazing team based on cutting-edge technology to serve a greater purpose and solve problems – for the people, for our planet.

BACKGROUND

Manager of an engineering team in Silicon Valley to build autonomous shuttles, built teams and various mobility products: electric race cars, e-motorcycles, light electric vehicles, electric passenger vehicles, including one of the most successful electric delivery vehicles in Germany. RWTH Aachen, Imperial College London.

Bogdan
Djukic

Co-founder, Director Teledrive Experience

WHAT DRIVES ME

Vay is aiming to launch the first vehicle without a safety driver on public roads in Europe. This involves exciting engineering challenges, many of which have never been worked on before, ranging from autonomous vehicle technology, cybersecurity, backend, machine learning and safety-critical SW. Coming up with engineering solutions to these topics is something that I’m super excited to work on at Vay.

BACKGROUND

Team Lead at Microsoft, Senior Software Engineer at Skype. M. Sc. in Computer Science from Belgrade University.

Mariona
Bosch

Director of Engineering Operations

WHAT DRIVES ME

Working closely with people from different cultures and professional backgrounds (hardware, software, operations, etc.) gives me the chance to learn new ways of approaching projects, structuring teams, and setting up processes every day. The results of this incredible teamwork are hugely rewarding, and visible in each step of our product.

BACKGROUND

Part of the management circle at AUDI AG, responsible for the implementation of prototypes at early development stages of new products (innovation vehicles, concept and pre-series vehicles, show cars, design models, testing single parts, PoCs, 3D-printing)

Hans-Leo
Ross

Safety Advisor

WHAT DRIVES ME

All my professional life I have been working for the protection and safety of people and the environment. I want to further provide safe and user-friendly automation systems for our future mobility needs.

BACKGROUND

25+ years experience in system safety at Conti., Mando, Bosch. Led the VDA working group in Germany to create ISO 26262 and influenced worldwide safety standardization. Author of several text books on functional safety.

Justin
Spratt

VP - Business & Corporate Development

WHAT DRIVES ME

What drives me is to work on goals that have a big impact on society. Additionally, I wanted to work with the smartest and most innovative people in the tech world. That’s better at Vay than any other company I’ve spoken to recently.

BACKGROUND

Responsible for global strategic partnerships at Uber, where he focused on deals with automotive OEMs, vehicle fleet operators, vehicle battery technology companies and electrification infrastructure providers. Was CEO and chief growth officer at Quirk. Began his professional life at Morgan Stanley as a fixed income trader after studying economics and finance. Built the first startup incubator in Africa in 2002 and has been mentoring founders of technology startups for over ten years. He is an angel investor in software technology and holds board positions in some of these companies.

Anja
Rechsteiner

Director of Communications

WHAT DRIVES ME

What drives me is to start something from scratch and use all my experience to find the best way to communicate our exciting story. I believe my work can have an impact on how people feel about more sustainable transportation options.

BACKGROUND

Worked for 15 years in leading communication agencies such as fischerAppelt and Ketchum in Germany and the UK for various brands and companies from FMCG to travel to mobility. Holds an MBA in Communication & Leadership from Quadriga University as well as a Master degree in History, Sociology and Media & Art Studies from University of Constance.

Caleb
Varner

US General Manager

WHAT DRIVES ME

We’re close to letting users experience the Vay Magic for the first time in Las Vegas and I know that they are going to find it a compelling mix of great value powered by a super slick in-app experience. It’s awesome to have the opportunity to take this piece of underlying tech (remote driving) and build an experience around it that users will use, love and tell their friends about.

BACKGROUND

Co-founded and served as the Global General Manager of Uber Rent & Valet, a new mobility investment by Uber. Lead the Global Vehicles team at Uber, overseeing critical planning and P&L responsibilities. Built Uber’s vehicles business in Latin America from the ground and managed the customer-facing financial services business across Sub-Saharan Africa. Lead international financial services strategy engagements with the Boston Consulting Group for John Deere, focusing on regions like Brazil, Africa, and India. Owns a Masters of Business Administration of Duke University.

Christian
Hertlein

VP - Product Design and Brand

WHAT DRIVES ME

Building the future of mobility, which is sustainable and truly serving the needs of people, by creating a holistic experience, a relatable brand and shaping services that are going to make a difference to how we move within and between cities.

BACKGROUND

Head of Global Design at N26, Senior Lead Designer at IDEO, in-car interactions for Volkswagen.

David
Gossow

Senior Principal Software Engineer

WHAT DRIVES ME

After having worked in autonomous robotics research for a long time in the Silicon Valley, I am thrilled to be working at a company that is finally bringing this technology into people’s everyday lives.

BACKGROUND

Tech Lead at Google Tango in Mountain View, Research Engineer at Willow Garage, yoga instructor since 2018.

Johanna
Loomis

Lead Industrial Designer

WHAT DRIVES ME

What drives me at Vay is the enthusiasm and passion for a vision that is embedded in the company culture, and at the same time the strict discipline in its implementation.

BACKGROUND

Industrial Product Design Lead at TEAMS DESIGN GmbH for over six years, started as a Trainee in Shanghai City. Worked as Industrial and Product Designer at LOTHAR BOHM ASSOCIATES LIMITED, Lutz Herrmann Design, Indeed Innovation and Werksdesign.

Vladimir
Bilonenko

Director of Software Engineering

WHAT DRIVES ME

Helping engineers to do their best and most important work. Elegance in software. Bringing ideas from books to real life and from one domain to another. Going from A to B fast.

BACKGROUND

Software Generalist. Maps and Mobility Geek (Lon, Lat not Lat, Lon). High Load at Yandex, Geo Analytics and Last Mile at HERE Maps, Mobility Platform at Daimler. Conway’s Law Enthusiast.

ALINA
PRESTI

Teledriver

WHAT DRIVES ME

A car enthusiast, driven by cars, driving and technology.

BACKGROUND

Nursery school teacher. Driver at Skoda’s start-up Caredriver.

Stefano
Buzzanca

Head of Operations

WHAT DRIVES ME

What drives me at Vay is the magic. That daily feeling that every small step forward, every single improvement, every small success is a step towards the final goal: to create something unique that will change the lives of many.

BACKGROUND

His 20+ years of experience in various mobility companies make him a great leader and KPI driven operator at Vay. Launched and ran various mobility services in 16+ cities, focused on free-floating car-sharing.

Expanding horizons: Remote driving company Vay sets its sights on the United States with an office opening in Las Vegas

  • Nevada will be the base for Vay to explore the US market for its remotely driven door-to-door mobility service 
  • Former Uber global leader Caleb Varner will lead the US business as General Manager 
  • Close cooperation with German authorities is underway for the launch of the service in Europe

Berlin/Las Vegas – May 31, 2023 – Vay, the world’s leading teledriving (remote driving) company from Berlin (Germany), is opening an office in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) to expand into the US market. In February 2023, Vay was the first company in Europe to remotely drive a car with no one inside on a public road. Caleb Varner, US General Manager, will lead Vay’s business in the United States and brings similar experience from Uber, where he was responsible for building the car rental business. Vay’s mission is to solve transportation in metropolitan areas by aiming to launch a safe, affordable and convenient door-to-door mobility service.

Thomas von der Ohe, co-founder and CEO of Vay, says:

“We are excited to enter the US mobility market. Our team is talking to stakeholders in various states and has started to work on launching an initial service. The market is ready and the responses we have received so far from regulators, city governments, and potential customers in the US show that it’s a very dynamic market that we will be exploring in the near future!”

Vay opens its office in the downtown Las Vegas Arts District as its first step into the US market. Vay’s office is part of the Las Vegas city investment in economic development in their International Innovation Center.

Las Vegas’ Chief Innovation and Technology Officer Michael Sherwood on Vay coming to Las Vegas: 

“We’re more than excited to have Vay setting up their US operations here in Las Vegas. They are part of a growing mobility and technology ecosystem that we are investing in and building in the city that we expect to have international impact – both as an employer of top global talent, but also increasing the mobility options for tourists, and residents alike.”

Vay’s team of 150+ people headquartered in Berlin combines the best of two technological worlds: software and product experience from Silicon Valley and automotive hardware and safety engineering from Europe. With its first service, Vay plans to remotely deliver and return electric cars for its customers. Responsible for the next steps in the US is Vay’s US General Manager, Caleb Varner.

Caleb Varner from Uber taps into the US market for Vay

Caleb Varner joined Vay at the end of last year. He moved from Uber, where he was Director, Global General Manager & co-founder of Uber Rent & Valet. As former General Manager of one of Uber’s mobility investments, Caleb will work closely with Thomas von der Ohe, Vay’s co-founder and CEO. He will focus on bringing Vay’s teledriving technology to the US with the objective of launching Vay’s remotely driven mobility service.

“I am excited to be a part of Vay and launch our service in the US. Vay’s teledriving technology and innovative approach has the potential to reshape the way people move – not only is that a huge business opportunity, but also a service that we see missing from today’s transportation ecosystem. The broader team at Vay is excited about taking this german-born technology and using it to change the way Americans move and building a future with reduced personal car ownership,” Caleb explains why he joined the teledrive company.

A first in Europe: Vay drives without a person inside the car

Vay is the first and only company to drive a car on European public roads in Hamburg (Germany), with no one inside. Vay works closely with the authorities in Germany to receive the next permits to launch their teledriving mobility service. The mission: Customers order an electric vehicle via the Vay app and the teledriver brings the car to the customer – remotely driven from the teledrive station. The customer then jumps into the car and drives themself to their destination. Once there, a teledriver drives the car to the next customer. No time spent picking up a car or trying to find parking.

Teledriving (remote driving) technology 

Vay is developing an alternative approach to autonomous driving called teledriving. The teledriving technology enables a person (“teledriver”) to control a vehicle remotely. Teledrivers sit at a teledrive station with a steering wheel, pedals and further operation devices for vehicle control developed to meet automotive industry standards. The visual perception is reproduced via camera sensors and transmitted to the screens of the teledrive station. Road traffic sounds, such as emergency vehicles and other warning signals, are transmitted via microphones to the teledriver’s headphones.

With their ‘teledrive-first-approach’ Vay aims to offer a safe, affordable and convenient alternative to existing mobility services. In the future Vay plans to gradually introduce autonomous driving functions in their system as it is safe and permitted to do so, based on high-quality teledrive data.

Vay press contact

Anja Rechtsteiner
Director of Communications
[email protected] / [email protected]
+49 176 60404217