Japanese automotive supplier Denso announces it has invested nearly $100 million over a 4-year period in startup companies around the world as part of its long-term vision to provide software-based solutions focused on electrification, automated driving, connectivity and shared economy.
The companies are working on cybersecurity, semiconductor, sensor and other technologies that will play a major role in advancing safe, secure and efficient mobility services, Denso says in a news release.
Denso’s recent investment areas include:
- Autonomous Drive: Denso has made an additional investment into Ridecell’s Series B funding for the development of shared mobility. Its partnership with ThinCI is enhancing deep-learning capabilities required for autonomous vehicles.
- Cybersecurity: Denso led Dellfer’s initial funding to help the company develop cybersecurity safeguards for connected and autonomous vehicles.
- Electrification: An investment in FLOSFIA is focused on a semiconductor device expected to reduce the energy loss, cost, size and weight of inverters used in electrified vehicles.
- Sensing: Denso and others invested in Metawave to accelerate the development and improve the performance of in-vehicle “smart” radar sensors for autonomous cars.
- Ridecell, Thin CI, Dellfer and Metawave will demonstrate their technologies in Denso’s booth at CES in Las Vegas from Jan. 8-11.
“Denso has traditionally been self-sufficient with its R&D efforts,” says Tony Cannestra, director-corporate ventures at Denso. “About five years ago, we realized that to keep pace with the predicted changes in the automotive industry and consumer demand, we needed to embrace an open innovation model that places equal importance on internal and external technology development in all product areas.
“Denso used to be all about spark plugs and air-conditioning units, and while those are still important products for us, we are focused on building a strong ecosystem of software, advanced hardware and other mobility technologies to quickly and flexibly develop unique solutions that meet the needs of our customers, especially in EVs and autonomous driving,” he says.
Denso says it will continue to invest in startups and entrepreneurs who can help accelerate innovation in the automotive industry. The company says it spent 8.8% of its global consolidated sales on R&D in the fiscal year ending March 31.
