Chinese autonomous driving start-up DeepRoute.ai is set to receive automotive chips from NVIDIA, marking a significant step in its bid to lead China’s competitive self-driving technology sector.
According to a report by CNBC on Wednesday, DeepRoute.ai CEO Maxwell Zhou announced that the company has secured a $100 million investment led by Great Wall Motor, reinforcing its strategic relationship with NVIDIA.
Zhou stated that DeepRoute.ai has a deep collaborative relationship with NVIDIA and is engaged in extensive discussions with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
Currently, DeepRoute.ai uses NVIDIA’s Orin chip for its driver assistance systems and plans to incorporate the new Thor chip in the future. The Thor chip was designed to handle more complex driving scenarios by processing additional visual cues.
This marks NVIDIA’s first supply to a Chinese company. While the U.S. government imposed export restrictions on advanced AI training semiconductors to China in October 2022, automotive chips were not included.
Zhou highlighted the significance of collaboration with NVIDIA, pointing out that numerous Chinese companies intensely compete in the autonomous driving sector, describing it as an AI arms race.
Founded in 2019, DeepRoute.ai has developed its own AI computing capabilities. This year, the company is partnering with Chinese automakers and expects to launch at least three vehicle models featuring its driver assistance system.
Zhou revealed that over 20,000 vehicles have been equipped with DeepRoute.ai’s system, projected to increase tenfold by next year.
DeepRoute.ai focuses on AI-driven autonomous vehicle operation without relying on high-definition maps, enabling vehicles to use driver assistance technology on roads lacking pre-established technical parameters.
In 2021, DeepRoute.ai secured $300 million in an Alibaba-led funding round, pushing its valuation past $1 billion just two years after its founding.
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