[230721] #Holomatic #Tesla #Cepton

1. Autonomous driving tech firm Holomatic secures over 1 billion yuan in Series C funding

• • Holomatic, a Chinese autonomous driving tech firm, completed its Series C3 funding round on July 18, raising 300 million yuan.
  • Guangdong Technology Financial Group and GAC Capital jointly led the funding round, bringing Holomatic’s entire Series C financing to over 1 billion yuan.
  • The funds will be used to further advance Holomatic’s autonomous driving technology and support the scaled production implementation of autonomous driving solutions.
  • Holomatic was established in 2017 and has focused on gradually achieving advanced autonomous driving by integrating cutting-edge AI technology with automotive engineering.
  • Its intelligent driving solutions have been mass-produced and deployed in various GAC vehicles, including the AION LX Plus, Trumpchi EMKOO, Trumpchi E9, and AION Hyper GT.
  • Holomatic is expanding collaborations with more automakers, such as Chery Auto and Dongfeng Motor, integrating its autonomous driving domain controller (HoloArk) and intelligent front-view camera (HoloIFC) into new vehicle models for mass production and delivery by the end of the year.

2. Samsung to make Tesla’s fifth-generation HW 5.0 auto chip

• • Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chipmaker, will manufacture Tesla’s next-generation Full Self-Driving (FSD) chips for Level-5 autonomous driving vehicles.
  • The chips will be made on Samsung’s 4-nanometer node and integrated into Tesla’s Hardware 5 (HW 5.0) computers, planned for mass production in three to four years.
  • Initially, Tesla had chosen Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) as the sole partner for HW 5.0 chip production, but now, they plan to work with both TSMC and Samsung or switch to Samsung entirely for mass production.
  • Samsung Group leader Lee Jay-yong met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk to strengthen their tech alliance, and Samsung offered favorable contract terms, leading to the new collaboration.
  • Samsung previously supplied FSD chips for Tesla’s earlier EV models, but TSMC was chosen for the next-generation FSD chips due to its superior foundry chip manufacturing yields.
  • However, Samsung has since improved its foundry yields, and industry watchers believe it is now nearly on par with TSMC’s yields.
  • Samsung is competing with TSMC to secure automotive chip supply deals from various EV manufacturers, including Tesla.
  • Samsung has recently won chip production deals with companies like Ambarella Inc. and Intel Corp.’s autonomous driving tech affiliate Mobileye Global Inc.
  • To meet the rising demand for advanced auto chips, Samsung plans to increase its foundry capacity at its Korean plant and start operations at a new plant in Texas by the end of 2024.

3. Cepton, Inc. Accelerates Intelligent LiDAR Solutions Critical to Vehicle Safety and Road Management

• • Cepton is an innovator in lidar technology, which uses laser pulses to detect objects and measure distances for applications in vehicles, smart infrastructure, and other areas.
  • Pedestrian fatalities have increased by 77% since 2010, and Cepton aims to improve safety by integrating lidar into traffic systems, intersections, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) powered vehicles.
  • Cepton is collaborating with leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to mainstream lidar by offering high-performance, compact solutions for ADAS that seamlessly integrate into modern vehicle designs.
  • The company’s Helius® Smart Lidar System combines MMT® lidar technology with edge computing and advanced perception software to provide intelligent 3D perception for enhancing safety in public spaces.
  • Cepton’s technology has been deployed in groundbreaking studies to improve intersection design and operation, with real-time pedestrian analytics and dynamic flashing yellow arrow systems being implemented in U.S. cities.
  • The Helius system was tested in Texas through a study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and is being evaluated further by the Utah Department of Transportation in Salt Lake City.
  • Apart from automotive applications, Cepton’s lidar solutions are utilized in various industries, such as airport terminal monitoring, security systems, crowd analytics, railway obstacle detection, and e-tolling.
  • Cepton’s Vista®-X120 Plus lidar has been integrated into NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform for real-time simulation and 3D visualization, making lidar deployment and testing more efficient and cost-effective.

4. Tesla’s $1 Billion Supercomputing Project ‘Dojo’ Set to Revolutionize Autonomous Driving Software

• • Tesla plans to invest over $1 billion in “Project Dojo,” a supercomputing initiative focused on revolutionizing autonomous driving software.
  • The project aims to handle extensive data streams, including video data from Tesla cars, to fortify the development of autonomous driving capabilities.
  • Tesla’s investment in supercomputing technology aims to elevate its capabilities and become a frontrunner in the autonomous driving industry.
  • The announcement unsettled investors, leading to a decline in Tesla’s share price in after-market trading, but the CFO clarified that the investment aligns with the company’s previous expense outlook.
  • Dojo is Tesla’s custom-built supercomputer platform designed for AI machine learning, particularly for video training using data from its vehicle fleet.
  • Tesla showcased advancements in Dojo during AI Day 2022, revealing the existence of a full system tray.

5. Kanavi Mobility Appoints Hyundai Motor Securities and Daeshin Securities as Lead Managers for IPO Launch

• • Kanavi Mobility, a company specializing in automotive electronics and LiDAR sensors, has selected Hyundai Motor Securities and Daeshin Securities as joint lead managers for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO).
  • The company focuses on developing autonomous driving LiDAR sensors, DCUs, and V2X technologies and aims to list on the Korean stock market in the first half of 2025.
  • Kanavi Mobility was initially engaged in the automotive electronics business before shifting its focus to autonomous driving technology in 2018.
  • It operates under the brand “ViewGera” and acquired “Humax Automotive,” an in-car infotainment company, last year.
  • The company is expanding into markets such as industrial wireless communication terminals and eco-friendly electric propulsion ships.
  • The selection of joint lead managers is a strategic move to prepare for the IPO and accelerate its listing preparations.