The process for automotive companies, Tier-1 suppliers, silicon vendors and enterprises develop, certify and diagnose software and conduct over-the-air updates is being reinvented by Aurora Labs’ AI-based Vehicle Software Intelligence. In the process, the company says it can save manufacturers billions of dollars on their bill of materials and data communications costs, while enabling recurring revenue streams.
Aurora Labs, as it brings AI to the software-defined vehicle, secured $63 million through a Series C financing round led by Moore Strategic Ventures, bringing the total investment in Aurora Labs to about $100 million.
Software-defined vehicles represent the evolution of vehicles, where functions and features are enabled through software. It’s the transition of a fully mechanical operation to a software-controlled environment. Translation: the entire vehicle is a computer on wheels.
Of course, while the benefits are many, there are always challenges with software, from testing to security to bug fixes to updates.
“We are doubling down on our investment in Aurora Labs because of the importance of its AI-based technology to the automotive sector,” said Lutz Meschke, board member responsible for investment management at Porsche SE. “The software provides developers and automotive OEMs with actionable insights from the development phase throughout the lifecycle of the car. We are convinced that the use of this technology provides significant benefits to OEMs and customers alike and will be a key enabler for software-defined and connected vehicles.”
The solutions provided by the company will be used to collect actionable data and obtain a better understanding of line-of-code software behavior. This level of understanding will help the software development teams streamline the processes of development, testing, integration, WP.29 compliance, continuous certification and on-the-road, zero-downtime, over-the-air updating.
Additionally, the solution will keep software safe and secure from faults and cybersecurity attacks, while allowing manufacturers to add new features and functions extending the life of the device and enhancing user experiences.
“For the industry to move forward and realize software-defined vehicles, sophisticated AI solutions are needed to enable continuous integration, deployment, testing, certification and updates. Aurora Labs’ solutions will save automotive companies time and money and will ultimately save lives as vehicles become electric and more autonomous,” said Zohar Fox, CEO, Aurora Labs.