Jeff Bezos rep leaves Slate Auto’s board

The caput of Jeff Bezos’ household bureau has near the committee of directors of Slate Auto, the electrical conveyance startup backed by the Amazon founder, according to galore authorities filings reviewed by TechCrunch.

Melinda Lewison, who leads investments astatine Bezos Expeditions, appears to person stepped down astatine immoderate constituent successful the past fewer months, documents filed with the Delaware, Florida, and Massachusetts secretaries of authorities show. That leaves Bezos with nary nonstop practice connected Slate’s committee arsenic the institution prepares to enactment its low-cost electrical motortruck into accumulation aboriginal this year.

Slate did not respond to aggregate requests for comment. Lewison and Bezos did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Lewison’s departure raises questions astir Bezos’ enactment and engagement with the startup astatine a clip erstwhile the Amazon laminitis is present seemingly focused connected robotics astatine his caller startup, Project Prometheus. That institution raised much than $6 cardinal precocious past twelvemonth and is reportedly seeking $100 cardinal for a caller money focused connected buying concern companies successful order to automate them with AI.

The precise level of Bezos’ engagement successful Slate has ever been hard to divine. The institution has ne'er revealed however overmuch wealth the Amazon laminitis contributed successful its archetypal backing circular successful 2023, which totaled astir $120 million. Slate Auto besides has not confirmed whether Bezos participated successful the company’s Series B round, which brought its full backing to astir $700 million.

Last month, Slate announced a $650 cardinal Series C round, but lone named 1 pb investor: TWG Global, a steadfast tally by Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter. Los Angeles-based VC steadfast Slauson & Co, an existing investor, confirmed to TechCrunch that it besides participated.

Chris Barman, Slate’s archetypal prosecute and its now-former CEO, said connected stage astatine TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 that Bezos was “pretty hands-off.”

“We’ve had interface wherever we invited him successful and helium came an joined america erstwhile on the journey, and looked astatine the vehicle, and we talked a small spot astir what the aboriginal mightiness be,” she said precocious past year. “But he’s, different than that, he’s precise hands disconnected and truly letting america absorption connected getting the conveyance to market.”

Still, Slate Auto is loaded with Amazon alumni. It was co-founded by erstwhile Amazon Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke. The automotive startup’s caller CEO is Peter Faricy, a erstwhile VP of Amazon Marketplace. Many of the company’s divisions are led by erstwhile Amazon employees.