Recently, Slauson & Co., a new venture capital firm based in Los Angeles, has been creating ripples through the press. Their most recent investment might be their most exciting yet — Slate Auto. Apu Relan and C.J. Clements, two fearless creatives and entrepreneurs, opened the original Slauson & Co location in 2020. The firm’s roots run deep in South Central LA—especially along Slauson Avenue, where the founders grew up. This investment reflects a strategic move for the firm, which typically focuses on specific sectors but is willing to venture outside its primary themes.
Slate Auto’s leadership team has decades of experience in the automotive industry. Chris Barman, the company’s CEO, harnessed more than 20 years of experience from Chrysler. Chairman Rodney Copes has experience as a top executive at Harley-Davidson and Rivian. Ryan Green, the new chief financial officer of Slate, brings tremendous experience from his previous stops at Harley-Davidson and Rivian. This experience allows the company to draw from their deep pool of industry expertise.
The connection between Slauson & Co. and Slate Auto was facilitated by Jeff Wilkie, who co-founded Re:Build Manufacturing, the incubator from which Slate spun out. Then in spring 2023, Wilkie brought Slauson & Co. to Slate’s attention. By the time we made the acquisition, Slate had a few dozen employees at most. This introduction led to an important turning point for both organizations.
Relan added that investing in an auto-tech company like Slate Auto is a departure from the traditional Slauson & Co. investments. Do we think that this is realistic in terms of what people want at this moment in time?” he further asked. His question indicated that he was thoughtfully weighing the value of making the grant.
Clements strongly stressed that their investment strategy is very much based on taste and intuition when identifying early-stage ventures. He stated, “You know, we’re not just a purely philanthropic organization,” reinforcing their commitment to making informed financial choices while supporting innovative ideas.
Clements heaped commendations on Barman’s talents, calling her “a true visionary.” He also cited her high standing among her colleagues in her previous organization. He elaborated further on Barman’s leadership style: “She’s no frills, not about the hype. She’s really about delivering.” This point of view shows a clear faith in Barman’s ability to navigate Slate through the competitive waters of the growing electric vehicle market.
This investment might not conform to Slauson & Co.’s typical themes. It does help immensely their mission of producing cultural capital. Relan noted that much of their work is about shifting resources and knowledge back into under-resourced areas and communities. “It definitely is a source of cultural capital that gets repackaged and distributed to more developed areas and other parts of the world,” he explained.
The electric vehicle transition, like all great revolutions, brings risks and rewards—and it’s these changes that business Slate Auto are hoping to ride. As consumer demand continues to grow for more sustainable transportation options, these promising startups have to prove themselves in a quickly saturating field. Slauson & Co.’s investments could give Slate the leverage it needs to steer this new, quickly-changing landscape into safer waters.
