10 trailblazing start-ups in today’s AI-powered mobility space

In a detailed survey conducted by the StationX team at Siemens Mobility, Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Driving emerged to be in the top #3 key market clusters for sustainable mobility between the years 2010 and 2020. And honestly this doesn’t catch me or you by surprise. Automotive giants like Tesla, Volkswagen, Daimler amongst others have been taking the world by storm with their range of semi and fully automated vehicles. According to Mordor Intelligence, the autonomous (driverless) car market alone was valued at USD 20.97 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 61.93 billion between 2021 and 2026.

However, autonomous driving is only one of the many key applications of AI-driven mobility. Companies have been redefining all sectors of mobility, well beyond autonomous vehicles. In this article, we look at 10 unique startups that are currently excelling at mobility that’s fueled by artificial intelligence.

#1 AEye

Founded in 2013, Luis Dussan is the mastermind behind their patented iDAR™ (Intelligent Detection and Ranging) platform, which employs deterministic artificial intelligence. This technology introduced a number of industry firsts, that enables the collection of better information with less data to quickly identify and track incoming threats like a parked car or a child crossing the street. AEye has raised a total of $316.56M in funding and is applicable to automotive, trucking, railroads and adjacent industries.

HQ: Dublin, California, USA

#2 NetraDyne

Since its inception in 2015, NetraDyne has been paving the way for the next generation of safety solutions for fleet mobility. With their fleet safety camera products developed in conjunction with advanced vision technology, the driving behaviors of fleet drivers are analyzed. This technology can help customers reduce incidents, enable fast claim resolutions, and decrease the chances of litigation. The company successfully raised $150M in their latest funding round bringing their total funding received to $207.16M.

HQ: San Diego, California, USA

#3 Konux

Konux has raised a total of $130.85M in funding for its productivity software intended for sustainable railway operations. The KONUX system is an end-to-end solution which uses IIoT devices and artificial intelligence to improve network capacity, extend asset lifetime and reduce costs. It continuously monitors and analyzes the health of key switch components thus enabling clients to identify and correct any failure through real-time visibility.

HQ: Munich, Germany

#4 Locus

Locus has been receiving much deserved attention since 2015. It is a technology platform that uses machine learning and proprietary algorithms intended to manage intra-city logistics for scheduled and on-demand deliveries. The platform collects geolocations and in-turn recommends logistics alternatives for route optimization, real-time tracking, vehicle allocation and utilization. In a press release in 2020, Locus was proud to announce that it has helped save around 12 million CO2 emissions (kg) and 3.32 million NO2 emissions. The company has raised a total of $82.53M in funding.

HQ: Bengaluru, India

#5 Mogu Chelian

Founded in 2017, Mogu Chelian has raised $120M in its very first round of funding. In a short span of four years, the company has successfully developed a user-oriented, intelligent vehicle control platform designed to offer convenient and smart driving assistance. The platform is based on cutting-edge cloud computing, machine learning and AI technologies to analyze real-time driving data and external environmental conditions. Their main aim is to provide a safe and seamless driving experience with advanced human-computer interaction technologies.

HQ: Tianjin, China

#6 Effenco

To address the issues that arise from one of one the most polluting segments of the transport industry — heavy-duty vocational trucks*, Effenco was founded to implement fleet management software and its complementary vehicle electrification technology. This technology combines 800,000 hours of operating data and AI algorithms to recommend energy efficient routes to the electric trucks thereby reducing operational costs and emissions. The company’s sustainable efforts have bagged a total funding of $22.6M.

HQ: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

#7 Axonne

Axonne is a Silicon Valley startup that has raised $19M in funding since 2018. The company has developed a connectivity platform that integrates with cars through autonomous driving sensors. The platform is based on proprietary mixed-signal circuits, algorithms and digital signal processing to enable drivers with safety, reliability, security and electric vehicle-friendly power efficiency.

HQ: Sunnyvale, California, USA

#8 RoadBotics

Roadbotics initially developed Roadway in 2016 to inspect roads and complementary infrastructure. The technology behind their maiden solution uses machine vision and machine learning to identify road issues in real-time. It offers a simple web-based tool for monitoring and planning road maintenance. This technology has been of great help to municipalities to assess road conditions and the results of which are uploaded to its mapping platform. Their revenue is currently $3.7M and have received a total funding of $12.42M.

HQ: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

#9 CedarAI

The startup that has raised $8.6M in funding is responsible for developing AI-powered operating and planning software designed for rail yards. The company’s tool leverages AI and machine-learning algorithms to provide railroads and rail shippers with tools to maximize efficiency, increase throughput, and improve safety. They claim to have the only platform that can fully digitize and optimize yard planning operations.

HQ: Seattle, Washington, USA

#10 C2A Security

C2A Security was founded in 2016 by Michael Dick and is motivated to provide the automotive industry with end to end in-vehicle cybersecurity protection. The company’s platform offers a suite of solutions meant for car manufacturers to detect cyber-attacks ranging from autonomous systems hacks to chip-level vulnerabilities. The company has bagged a total funding of $7.7M.

HQ: Jerusalem, Israel

*Vocational trucks are typically dump trucks, garbage trucks, or mixers, and are used to haul equipment or materials, and, in general, get a job done. (Google)

(Note: All information in this article has been sourced from Pitchbook, CrunchBase and the official websites of the aforementioned companies.)