Led · Series C · Aug 2022

StradVision develops AI-based vision processing software (SVNet) for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles, with deployments on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs. The company intends to use its newly raised capital to accelerate growth and expand operations. Led by CEO Junhwan Kim, StradVision reports more than 300 employees across offices in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, Friedrichshafen, and Dusseldorf. Financially, the company closed an $88M Series C and has $129M in cumulative funding from seed through Series C. Its technology powers ADAS and autonomous vehicle perception worldwide. The company is positioned as an automotive-industry pioneer in AI-based vision processing. StradVision builds deep learning–based vision processing software for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. The company positions its camera software as an enabler of next-level vehicle autonomy and mainstream ADAS implementations. StradVision says its solution will support millions of SUVs, sedans, and buses on the road soon. Its software is reportedly attracting leading automakers and suppliers. To accelerate expansion and cooperation, StradVision entered a strategic partnership with AISIN Group via a Pegasus Tech Ventures–managed fund. The company intends to leverage that partnership to meet growing demand for driver-assistance technologies and broader deployment of its camera solutions. StradVision is a Seoul-based developer of vision processing software for autonomous vehicles and ADAS, led by CEO Junhwan Kim. Its core product is SVNet, a deep learning-based software suite that enables lane detection, traffic light and sign detection/recognition, object detection, and free-space detection. The company has multiple mass-production projects ongoing in China and Europe with global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. StradVision expects millions of vehicles — including SUVs, sedans and buses — to run its software by 2021. It currently employs more than 105 people across the United States, Germany, Korea and Japan. The company intends to use the new funds to continue developing its products. StradVision develops deep learning–based camera image detection software that recognizes pedestrians and reads text on road signs. Its front-detection technology is described as top-notch, able to detect distant and overlapping objects and distinguish between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. The software can analyze movement patterns and pedestrian posture to predict situations in advance and is claimed to use a high-efficiency algorithm optimized for vehicles. The company holds 14 patents, including methods for rapidly reading text in images, fast parallel data processing, and detection-accuracy enhancements; 10 of those patents are registered in the U.S. Founded in 2014, StradVision is an ICT firm whose majority of employees hold master’s or doctoral degrees. The company recently received an equity investment of 8 billion KRW from Hyundai Mobis to collaborate on developing deep learning cameras and pursue commercialization (the article notes commercialization is expected in 4–5 years and Hyundai Mobis aimed to develop a deep learning–based camera by 2020).

Led · Equity · Feb 2022

TTTech Auto develops the MotionWise safety software platform and related hardware solutions to guarantee functional safety across vehicle functions and accelerate development cycles for software-defined cars. The company says about two million vehicles already run on MotionWise and it operates from headquarters in Vienna with more than 1,200 employees across 10+ locations. TTTech Auto was founded in 2018 by TTTech Group with Audi, Infineon and Samsung and received an initial EUR 75 million investment from Samsung. The company plans to use new funding to expand its product portfolio, deliver open modular standards-based platforms, and provide tools to speed feature development and over-the-air updates. It also plans international expansion with a strong focus on Asia (including a joint venture with SAIC Motor in China), to hire hundreds of additional high-tech staff, and to pursue strategic M&A and product investments to bolster safety capabilities.

Led · Equity · Apr 2019

Affectiva is a pioneer of Emotion AI and a developer of Human Perception AI that leverages deep learning, computer vision, speech science and large real-world datasets to detect nuanced emotions, complex cognitive states, activities, interactions and objects. An MIT Media Lab spin-off, the company supplies Automotive AI solutions to OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, ridesharing providers, fleet managers and autonomous-vehicle developers to understand drivers' and passengers' states and moods. Its technology is also used by 25 percent of the Fortune Global 500 to test consumer engagement with ads, videos and TV programming. The company plans to use new funding to deploy Human Perception AI in production vehicles and expand in conversational interfaces, social robotics and market research. Leadership emphasizes creating safer, more comfortable in-vehicle experiences through attention management and predictive analytics integrated with vehicle computing platforms. Financially, Affectiva closed a $26 million funding round that brings total invested capital to $53 million. Affectiva develops emotion recognition technology that enables developers to create hyper-personalized experiences across industries such as gaming, advertising, healthcare and automotive. Its solutions allow adaptive games that change based on a player’s mood, clinical research applications that respond to a patient’s emotional state, and video communication platforms that optimize presentations based on audience engagement. An MIT Media Lab spin-off, the company provides its solutions to more than 1,400 brands to gather insight and analytics in consumer emotional engagement. The company raised $14M in venture capital and intends to use the funds to hire new people, continue innovating in Emotion AI, and accelerate growth into global markets. Leadership changes announced alongside the round include Nick Langeveld named Chairman of the Board and Dr. Rana el Kaliouby moving into the role of Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 2009 by Rosalind W. Picard and Rana el Kaliouby out of the MIT Media Lab, Affectiva develops facial-tracking technology to measure human emotional responses. Its core product, Affdex, is used to test and optimize ad effectiveness and is deployed by clients including WPP's Millward Brown. The company also produces a Q Sensor wearable biometric device, used by “hundreds” of universities and corporations. Affectiva is building a large repository of facial-response data from users in more than 20 countries to help content creators understand cultural differences in reactions. The company plans to use its new funding to move Affdex beyond advertising into consumer-facing applications, social environments, and games. Financially, the company has raised $12M in the announced Series C and has total funding of $20.2M alongside grants from the National Science Foundation; Mary Meeker and Frank Meehan joined its advisory/board ranks as part of the financing. Affectiva spun out of MIT’s Media Lab and builds emotion-measurement technology for ad and brand testing. Its core product, Affdex, uses webcams to track viewers’ responses to videos and can recognize complex emotions such as confusion. The company also offers a wireless biosensor called the Q Sensor. Affectiva says Affdex has been used to crowdsource readers’ responses at Forbes.com and to test Super Bowl campaigns with research agency Millward Brown. It will use a $500,000 NSF grant to continue developing Affdex and to build an "emotional norms database" to benchmark ad engagement and cross-country responses. The startup has raised venture funding, most recently a $5.7M Series B, and says its technology could eventually expand beyond ad testing to help people with autism understand facial expressions. Affectiva is a Waltham, MA company founded in 2009 by MIT scientists Rosalind W. Picard and Rana el Kaliouby and led by CEO Dave Berman. The company develops the Affdex software, which reads emotional states such as liking and attention from facial expressions using a webcam and employs computer vision, machine learning and patented methods to interpret non-verbal responses at scale. It also develops the Q Sensor, a wearable biometric sensor used by more than 100 universities and corporations to track excitement, engagement, stress and anxiety. Affectiva intends to use new funding to expand development and marketing of Affdex and to advance the Q wearable. The company positions its technology to help understand how people feel in order to improve products and experiences.