Denso Invests in Ridecell

Denso Corp. has acquired an unspecified stake in Ridecell Inc., a San Francisco-based developer of smartphone apps for mobility services.

Ridecell was formed in 2008 by a Georgia Tech graduate student Aarjav Trivedi, who continues to head the company. As part of an aggressive plan to expand globally, Ridecell has made several acquisitions and formed various partnerships over the past year.

Among Ridecell’s customers are AAA, BMW’s ReachNow ride- and car-sharing business, 3M and Volkswagen’s Skoda brand. The company also will supply its operating platform for Renault’s new Zity car-sharing service being launched this month in Madrid. In October Ridecell acquired California-based Auro Robotics, which specializes in automated driving systems for low-speed shuttles.

Denso, which says it is a "significant contributor" to Ridecell's latest funding round, also is ramping up its mobility and automated vehicle capabilities. Recent partnerships include a development deal with TrafficCast International for connected vehicle technology, and an agreement to work with FotoNation on driver monitoring systems.