Deeproute claims to be working ‘closely’ with NVIDIA on driver assistance

BEIJING – Deeproute.ai, a Chinese startup developing self-driving systems, on Tuesday announced a $100 million funding round from an undisclosed automaker, highlighting its close ties with chipmakers. Nvidia.

Pitchbook data showed Chinese companies great wall motor led the investment.

Maxwell Zhou, CEO of DeepRoute.ai, told reporters in Mandarin on Tuesday, translated by CNBC, that raising funds, especially from non-governmental sources, is difficult.

Chou said the startup also has a “close working relationship” with Nvidia and is in “in-depth discussions” with the chipmaker’s CEO Jensen Huang.

Zhou gave a talk on “mass production of self-driving solutions” at Nvidia’s high-profile GTC AI conference in March.

Shenzhen-based Deepproute said it uses Nvidia’s Orin chips in its current driver assistance systems.

The startup is part of the first group of Chinese companies to get Nvidia’s new automotive Thor chip, which allows it to use more visual cues to manage more complex driving scenarios. He added that he plans to release the new system he used next year.

“Many companies in China are competing in self-driving cars. It’s actually a competition over AI,” Zhou said.

When it comes to AI computing power, Deepproute says it has unique capabilities that it can leverage. alibabaas needed. The e-commerce and cloud computing company led a $300 million investment round in Deeproute in 2021, valuing the company at more than $1 billion just two years after its founding in 2019. , said the startup.

In October 2022, the United States imposed sweeping restrictions on China’s ability to access cutting-edge semiconductors from Nvidia and other American companies. Currently, automotive chips do not fall into that category.

Nvidia is scheduled to report its earnings for the quarter ending October 27th on November 20th. The chipmaker said its automotive division’s revenue for the quarter ended July 28 rose 37% from a year earlier to $345 million.

Deeproute is currently working with Chinese car manufacturers selling in China. The company expects at least three models to be released this year equipped with its driver assistance systems.

Zhou said Deeproot’s system is already operational in more than 20,000 cars on the road. He expects that number to increase perhaps tenfold next year.

The startup, which has offices in California, said it is considering collaborations with foreign automakers and plans to participate in next year’s Japanese auto show.

Deeproot has focused on self-driving cars using artificial intelligence, without relying on high-definition maps. This allows vehicles to use driving assistance technologies even on roads for which technical parameters have not been created.

is a trending car technology company. Spen Huawei is pursuing – and tesla‘s autonomous driving development strategy. Elon Musk’s car company is focusing less on HD maps and more on using cameras and artificial intelligence to steer its vehicles.

These maps are used by self-driving companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo to provide cars with detailed images of streets. But they must be created before the car can hit the road, a process that can increase costs.

Zhou said the company is very keen for Tesla’s driving assistance product, called “full self-driving,” to enter China. His reasoning is that Tesla’s products will get more consumers interested in driver-assistance features and raise Deeproot’s profile in the field.

When asked about IPO plans, Zhou said the startup would maintain its own pace of development, but welcomed the latest initial public offering by other industry players.

Self-driving software developer in China we ride went public on the Nasdaq last month, and robotaxi operator Pony Eye has filed for an IPO in the United States.

Companies in China’s automotive industry are increasingly turning to driver assistance technology as a way to remain competitive in the market.

Pony.ai on Saturday announced an agreement with state-run Beijing Automobile Group’s new energy vehicle subsidiary to cooperate in the mass development of fully autonomous robotaxis.

tencent announced on Monday that it will expand its strategic cooperation with German auto supplier Bosch to work on autonomous driving and technology-enabled cockpits. The two companies first agreed to strategic cooperation in 2020.

Description: This article has been updated to reflect that Deepproute was part of the first group of Chinese companies to get Nvidia’s new Thor chips for cars.