Bridgestone invests in last-mile delivery platform

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Americas Inc. has purchased a minority stake in Yoshi Inc., a last-mile delivery platform that offers car care services for consumer, fleet and corporate customers.

The investment is part of Bridgestone's plan to develop a portfolio of concierge services for personal mobility and fleet customers.

The partnership "will accelerate both companies' ability to meet the needs of car owners through the expansion of convenient and contactless vehicle-related services brought directly to customers' homes and workplaces," Bridgestone said.

Bridgestone and Yoshi will explore joint service offerings, such as combining Bridgestone's company-owned retail service network and Firestone Direct mobile tire and service operation with Yoshi's fleet of service vehicles.

Nashville-based Yoshi offers on-site refueling, car wash and detailing, oil changes, vehicle inspection and more.

""The economy of on-demand services continues to grow, and vehicle-related solutions are rising rapidly in popularity," Craig Schneider, chief strategy officer, Bridgestone Americas, said.

"Our investment in Yoshi will allow Bridgestone to expand the number of services available to our customers, with the ultimate vision to offer concierge vehicle management for everyone."

Yoshi was founded in 2015 as a direct-to-consumer gas delivery service. It has since evolved into a tech-enabled delivery platform focused on car care services.

To date, Yoshi has raised more than $46 million in financial backing, securing support from several leaders including General Motors Co. and ExxonMobil Corp. as well as Y Combinator Management L.L.C., NBA player Kevin Durant and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

"As we continue to expand our service offerings across the country, we couldn't be more excited to team-up with a world-class partner that shares our vision of making car maintenance and service as frictionless as possible for our customers," Yoshi CEO and Co-Founder Bryan Frist said.

The two companies will launch their integration plans later this year, allowing Bridgestone retail stores and Firestone Direct to refer business between Bridgestone and Yoshi customers.

Bridgestone's plan to develop a portfolio of concierge services includes a recently launched RESOLV platform for subscription-based vehicle maintenance, Bridgestone's Firestone Direct mobile tire and services business and investment in mobile vehicle services and technology company Wrench Inc.