Recently, Stellantis Ventures, a venture capital fund under the European automotive group Stellantis, announced its investment in SteerLight, a new generation high-performance LiDAR technology development company.
It is understood that SteerLight LiDAR uses silicon photon technology, combining universal semiconductor materials with high-speed optical imaging technology. Compared to currently available LiDAR systems, SteerLight LiDAR has higher resolution and precision, as well as lower production costs, and can perceive three-dimensional information of the surrounding environment.
SteerLight is a subsidiary of the CEA Leti Technology Center in France, which uses silicon based frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar technology and places the system on a microchip. The system is sturdy, durable (without moving parts), and compact in structure, providing maximum flexibility for vehicle engineers. It overcomes the challenges of today’s automotive LiDAR technology – component size and high cost. FMCW technology provides highly accurate depth and speed data while resisting interference from the surrounding environment and other users.
This technology has the potential to enable drivers of future Stellantis brand vehicles to achieve better performance in various advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including autonomous driving.
Ned Curic, Chief Engineering and Technology Officer of Stellantis, stated, “A core aspect of our Dare Forward 2030 plan is to identify breakthrough technologies to provide substantial value to our customers on a large scale.” Autonomous driving enhancement remains a top priority for Stellantis. SteerLight’s transformative work can enable stronger and wider ADAS applications. ”
“We believe that Stellantis’ corporate risk fund’s recognition of our innovation can bring significant benefits to the large-scale adoption of LiDAR in industrial and mobile applications. Our new LiDAR technology is key to supporting new services in the automotive industry, and we look forward to working together to advance the next generation of vehicles,” said Fran Ois Simoens, co-founder and CEO of Steerlight.
Since its establishment in 2022, Stellantis Ventures has invested in 12 startups and a mobile fund, focusing on developing cutting-edge technologies that will improve individual clients and overall societal outcomes.