How an outside idea reaches a company, in its own words · checked 2026-10-29
How to sell an idea to Toyota
Does not take outside ideas
Toyota asks people not to send ideas about its products, promotions or advertising, and accepts none. Feedback about its sites becomes Toyota’s property. It has bought Lyft’s self-driving division and CARMERA.
Read off Toyota's own pages on
Where pitches like these are made: CES, Las Vegas · Wiidii, CC BY-SA 4.0
In its own words
“Please do not submit ideas or suggestions regarding current or future Toyota products, promotions or advertising.”
“For legal reasons, we do not accept such unsolicited ideas or suggestions.”
What you agree to by sending something
“Any comments, suggestions, or feedback relating to the Sites (collectively "Feedback") submitted to Toyota shall become the property of Toyota.”
What it has bought from outside
2021
Lyft Level 5 (self-driving division) from Lyft US$550 million
“In April 2021, Woven by Toyota (then Woven Planet Holdings) agreed to acquire Lyft 's Level 5 self-driving vehicle division. [ 15 ] Financing included US$550 million in cash with $200 million paid upfront and $350 million of payments over five year period.” en.wikipedia.org
2021
CARMERA (crowdsourced road mapping) from CARMERA, Inc.
“In July 2021, Woven by Toyota (then Woven Planet Holdings) also acquired CARMERA, Inc., a company that "specializes in sophisticated road mapping updates made cheaper and faster by using crowdsourced information obtained in real time from millions of net-connected Toyota vehicles." [ 17 ]” en.wikipedia.org
Other companies that take an invention or product idea
