Motive Technologies, Inc. IPO - What You Need to Know

Hey there! Thinking about dipping your toes into the Motive Technologies IPO? That's awesome! Investing can feel a bit like learning a new language, but don't worry, I'm here to break down what you need to know about Motive in plain English, just like I'd explain it to a friend. Motive Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco, California, at 1355 Market Street.

Let's get into it:

1. What does this company actually do? (in plain English)

Imagine you run a business that relies heavily on vehicles – maybe a delivery service, a construction company with a fleet of trucks, or even a long-haul trucking operation. How do you keep track of all those vehicles, make sure your drivers are safe, and ensure you're not wasting a ton of gas or time?

That's where Motive Technologies comes in! They provide smart technology, like little black boxes and easy-to-use software, that helps businesses manage their entire fleet of vehicles and equipment. Think of it as a "smart assistant" for your company's vehicles. It helps them:

• Track vehicles: Know exactly where every truck or piece of equipment is at all times.
• Monitor driver safety: See if drivers are speeding, braking too hard, or getting distracted.
• Improve efficiency: Plan better routes, reduce idle time, and save on fuel.
• Stay compliant: Help businesses meet government regulations for things like driver hours.

Basically, they help businesses run their vehicle operations smoother, safer, and more cost-effectively.

2. How do they make money and are they growing?

Motive makes its money primarily in two ways:

• Selling their smart devices: Businesses buy the hardware (like the tracking devices) from Motive.
• Subscription fees: The real money-maker is the monthly or annual fee businesses pay to use Motive's software and services. It's like paying for Netflix, but for your fleet management!

Are they growing? From what we've seen in their filings, yes! More and more businesses are realizing the benefits of this kind of technology, and Motive has been successful in signing up new customers and expanding their services to existing ones. This means their sales have been climbing, which is a good sign for a growing company. They're tapping into a market where businesses are always looking for ways to save money and be more efficient.

3. What will they do with the money from this IPO?

When a company goes public, it's usually to raise a big chunk of cash. Motive plans to use the money they get from selling shares to the public for a few key things:

• Make their tech even better: They'll invest in research and development to add new features, improve their software, and stay ahead of the curve. Think of it as upgrading their "smart assistant" to be even smarter!
• Reach more customers: They want to expand their sales and marketing efforts to bring their solutions to even more businesses, both big and small, across different industries.
• Maybe buy other companies: Sometimes, companies use IPO money to acquire smaller businesses that have cool tech or a strong customer base that fits with their own.
• General business stuff: A portion will also go towards just running the company day-to-day, like hiring more talented people and keeping the lights on.

4. What are the main risks I should worry about?

No investment is a sure thing, and Motive, like any company, has its challenges. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Competition: There are other companies out there offering similar services. Motive needs to keep innovating to stay ahead of rivals who might offer cheaper or better solutions.
• Economic slowdowns: If the economy takes a hit, businesses might cut back on spending, which could mean fewer new customers for Motive or existing customers reducing their services.
• Technology changes: The tech world moves fast! Motive needs to constantly update its products to keep up with new trends and customer needs. If they fall behind, customers might look elsewhere.
• Reliance on key customers: If a few very large customers make up a big chunk of their revenue, losing even one of them could hurt.
• Cybersecurity: Since they handle a lot of data, a major security breach could damage their reputation and cost them a lot of money.

5. How do they compare to competitors I might know?

You might not know many companies specifically in the "fleet management software" space, but think of it this way:

• Similar to: Companies like Samsara or Geotab are also big players in helping businesses manage their vehicles and equipment with smart tech.
• Motive's angle: Motive often highlights its all-in-one platform, aiming to be a single solution for everything from GPS tracking and driver safety to compliance and maintenance. They try to make it super easy for businesses to get all their needs met in one place, potentially making them stand out from competitors who might specialize in just one area.

6. Who's running the company?

The people at the top are super important!

Shoaib Makani is the CEO and a Co-Founder. While the preliminary filing didn't go into deep detail about his specific background or the exact number of years the founding team has been together, it's always good to see experienced leaders who are passionate about their product and have a clear vision for where they want to take Motive.

7. Where will it trade and under what symbol?

Once it goes public, you'll be able to find Motive shares trading on a major stock exchange. The company hasn't specified the exact exchange (like NASDAQ or NYSE) or the ticker symbol yet, but these details will be announced closer to the IPO date. The shares being offered will be Class A common stock.

This preliminary filing was made with the SEC on December 23, 2025. The actual date when shares will be available to the public isn't set yet, but it will be "as soon as practicable" after the registration statement is approved.

You can look it up just like you would any other stock on your brokerage app or financial website.

8. How many shares and what price range?

The company's preliminary filing didn't specify the exact number of shares they plan to offer to the public, nor did it provide an estimated initial price range per share. These details are usually firmed up closer to the IPO date.

Important: This is just an estimated price range. The final price could be higher or lower depending on how much demand there is from investors. It's also worth remembering that IPOs can be quite volatile in their first few days or weeks of trading.

9. A little bit about Motive's regulatory status

When a company goes public, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) classifies them in different ways, which affects how much information they have to share and how often. Motive has indicated it is:

• An "Emerging Growth Company" (EGC): Think of this as a relatively new and growing company. Because they're an EGC, they get some special rules that make it a bit easier to go public and operate for a few years. For example, they don't have to provide as much detailed financial information as bigger, more established companies, and they don't need an auditor to formally sign off on their internal financial controls right away. This can save them money, but it also means investors might have slightly less detailed information compared to a larger company.
• A "Non-accelerated filer": This classification is usually for companies with a smaller market value (specifically, their public shares are worth less than $75 million). Similar to being an EGC, this status also means they have some relaxed reporting requirements and longer deadlines for filing certain reports.

What does this mean for you? It means Motive is still in a growth phase and the SEC is giving them a bit of breathing room on some of the more burdensome reporting requirements that larger, more mature public companies face. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's good to be aware that they operate under slightly different rules than, say, a Fortune 500 company.

This company provided limited information in their preliminary IPO filing regarding specific details like management background, the exact stock exchange, ticker symbol, share count, and initial price range. This might be something to consider as you evaluate the investment.

Hopefully, this gives you a clearer picture of Motive Technologies and what to consider if you're thinking about investing in their IPO. Remember to always do your own research and consider if any investment fits your personal financial goals and risk tolerance!