Led · Series C · Feb 2020

Cepton develops state-of-the-art, intelligent lidar solutions built on its patented Micro Motion Technology (MMT), a mirrorless, frictionless, rotation-free architecture that delivers long-range, high-resolution 3D perception. Its products target autonomous driving and ADAS as well as smart cities/intelligent transportation systems (ITS), security, crowd analytics and industrial robotics. The company plans to substantially ramp up R&D, expand its footprint in the automotive market, and support major customers worldwide using proceeds from the round. Cepton announced over $50 million in Series C funding led by Koito, bringing its total funding to nearly $100 million. As part of the transaction Koito will obtain non-exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Cepton’s lidar sensor design for automotive applications, with key components supplied by Cepton. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Cepton also has registered offices in Germany, Canada and the UK and is focused on mass-market commercialization of high-performance lidar solutions.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2019

BrightWay Vision Ltd. is the Haifa, Israel–based subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. The company has developed BrightEye™, a patented system that uniquely combines sensing and laser illumination technologies for the automobile industry. BrightEye generates a clear long-range image of the road ahead at night and in low-visibility conditions while detecting objects in the vehicle path. That capability enables effective hazard alerts, collision warnings and other safety notifications. Financially, BrightWay received a $25M investment announced in June 2019. Investors included Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Magenta Venture Partners, with Magenta set to hold approximately 38.5% on a fully diluted basis. As a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, BrightWay is positioned within a larger international high-technology group focused on aerospace, C4ISR, electro-optics and related defense and commercial programs.