Augmented-Reality Head-Up Display Developer Named Top Startup

Organizers of the AutoMobility LA conference have selected WayRay SA, a Lausanne, Switzerland-based developer of holographic augmented reality head-up display systems, as the winner of its Top Ten Automotive Startups award.

About 300 companies—twice as many as last year—applied for the 3-year-old award. The other two finalists were Ohio-based GhostWave, which is developing next-generation radar sensors for advanced driver-assistance systems, and Israeli lidar specialist Innoviz Technologies.

WayRay’s Navion system allows a wider field of view and more information to be displayed than traditional HUDs, according to the supplier. This includes a virtual dashboard, real-time navigation directions, information from advanced driver-assistance systems and eventually videos and other entertainment-based files for autonomous vehicles.

Formed in 2013, WayRay is partnering with China’s Banma Technologies to further develop and commercialize the technology with a planned launch in 2019. Banma is backed by Chinese internet giant Alibaba and carmaker SAIC Motor.

As part of the AutoMobility LA award, WayRay received a $15,000 prize from Magna International Inc. Other benefits include a Microsoft BizSpark Plus membership consisting of $40,000 in Azure credits, access to Nvidia's Drive PX 2 car-computing platform and annual GTC conference in Silicon Valley. Elektrobit, Microsoft and Porsche Consulting also will provide consulting help.