- DeepRoute.ai raised $100 million from a Chinese automaker to expand its autonomous driving tech in China.
- DeepRoute aims to deploy its ADAS technology in 200,000 vehicles by 2025, up from 20,000 currently.
In a bid to get a head start on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) ambitions in China, Shenzhen-based autonomous driving technology startup DeepRoute.ai has raised $100 million. The funding, sourced from an undisclosed Chinese automaker, will accelerate the company's deployment of its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) nationwide.
China lifted certain restrictions on Tesla vehicles in April, creating a pathway for the U.S. automaker to introduce its FSD technology in the Chinese market. Tesla announced in September that it expects to launch FSD in both China and Europe in early 2025. This development has sparked a race for market share among autonomous technology firms, with DeepRoute vying for a robust foothold before Tesla’s anticipated entry.
DeepRoute, which counts Alibaba among its backers, aims to expand its ADAS technology's reach from 20,000 cars to approximately 200,000 by the end of 2025.
“This is a 10x increase from the vehicles our tech is deployed in today,” said Maxwell Zhou, DeepRoute's CEO, in a recent interview with Reuters.
The company launched its ADAS technology in its first vehicle model in August, and Zhou confirmed that two additional models, including one jointly developed by Geely and Mercedes-Benz, will be equipped with DeepRoute's system by year’s end. The startup charges automakers a licensing fee per vehicle and collects traffic data to enhance its AI's capabilities, allowing it to adapt to complex driving scenarios.
As DeepRoute intensifies its expansion efforts, this latest funding round could prove pivotal in helping it establish a lead in China’s rapidly advancing autonomous driving landscape.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
