Porsche Invests in Sensor Startup

(Image: TriEye)

Porsche has made an investment in an Israeli sensor startup, TriEye, and while the amount invested isn’t disclosed, the Series A round of funding that Porsche is participating in was launched in May 2019 led by Intel Capital, and it is now up to $19-million, so one can only image that the investment by the OEM is not trivial.

TriEye has developed short-wave-infra-red (SWIR) sensing technology that is said to be highly effective in conditions where there is low visibility, such as due to weather, lighting, dust, etc.

(Image: Porsche)

The Raven camera that TriEye has developed is based on CMOS technology. According to TriEye, they have developed an HD SWIR camera that is smaller, has higher resolution, and is available for “a fraction of the price.” Given that it seems that most OEMs are going to develop ADAS or autonomous systems that are based on sensor fusion—including lidar, radar, optical cameras, etc.—cost sensitivity is something that is particularly geremane.

What’s more, TriEye says it has not only proven that the SWIR tech works, but they’ve determined it can be mass-produced. Certainly something of importance to automotive.

As Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche, puts it, “We see great potential in this sensor technology that paves the way for the next generation of driver assistance systems and autonomous driving functions. SWIR can be a key element: it offers enhanced safety at a competitive price.”