Automotive Industry Start-up database

Automotive Industry Start- up Monitor

New real-time, personalized advice and data service to help clients monetize new opportunities in Automotive.

The new SaaS from Auto2x empowers investors, strategists and innovators to identify vendors, new revenue pools and disruptive tech in the automotive industry

Auto2x helps industry experts, strategists, investors, regulators, academics and entepreneurs build new products and services in Mobility, scale their offerings and optimize R&D spending, CAPEX and investments in Automotive and Mobility.

Built on Auto2x’s deep expertise in automotive industry technology, large datasets and focus on customer-centricity, the database unlocks best-in-class vendors to develop new offerings, winning business models and optimization processes for transportation players.

What’s included

1. Automotive Technology Radar: Act-Prepare-Watch
2. Trending in Automotive Tech Tracker: New product launches, news on tech development, collaborations, investments, timelines, markets
3. Automotive Supplier Technology Landscape 
4. Carmaker Strategies in ADAS, EVs, Digital Autos and Circular Autos
5. Regulatory Guide: Upcoming Regulations, policy and standards affecting deployment and development on innovation hubs;
6. Ranking of early-stage Start-ups for partner selection or M&A

Automotive Technology Radar

How does a Technology Radar work?

The basic principle is prioritising the identified items into Act, Prepare and Watch.

• Act: invest or build. Those items fit the selection criteria you have set.
• Prepare: the action point here is to position yourself to take advantage of the upcoming development or emerging opportunity.
• Watch: the time horizon for these innovations or items doesn’t require immediate action.

A Technology radar is a crucial strategic tool for Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Engineering teams in planning and execution.

Use cases vary from investment, M&A, innovation, new product development or strategic planning

• Innovation teams can build technology roadmaps to understand what new functionality or new products they can bring from the evolution of technology
• Strategy teams can identify opportunities and prioritise them to allocate resources better and improve ROI.
• Investment teams and Venture Capital teams (VC) use radars to scout for attractive investment targets, for example, find start-ups operating in a segment that has high potential (TAM, Growth) and aligns with their investment thesis.

It’s also important to mention that getting an outside-in perspective, e.g. from external providers, can help shed light on blind spots.

Learn more

10 new ADAS features with high market potential and high technological maturity

Auto2x analyzed the patent filings of major carmakers and automotive suppliers, the academic research publications and investments to unveils new features for ADAS which hold strong potential to add value to customers and create new revenue pools for carmakers and suppliers.

Top new Autonomous Driving features include:

1. “Level 4-Teleoperation” of autonomous vehicles, i.e. remote access for safety movements, e.g. Vay
2. “Level 4-Autonomous Driver DNA” that reflects the brand’s unique driving characteristics in the automated driving mode. This feature could enhance the driving experience for brands with sports and racing branding, such as Lotus, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and more.
3. “Level 4-Autonomous Guardian”, for enhanced safety, e.g. tele-operation for safe maneuvers in city or highway scenarios;
4. “Level 4-Self-charging autonomous electric cars”. The Level 3/4 – capable vehicle navigates autonomously to the EV charging station in a private parking space or Lv.4-Valet Parking Garage.
5. “Level 4-AVP (Autonomous Valet Parking) without V2X, Road-Side units or support from infrastructure”
6. “Level 2-Acoustic Traffic Monitoring” uses Machine Listening to interpret road noise from pedestrians and other road users to support blind-spot monitoring.
7. “Level 3-System take-over using Web3 applications”. Already, some carmakers have filled patents for automated driving systems which could take-over control of the vehicle when the driver is unable to take-back control.
8. “ADAS GenerativeAI applications” which can enhance self-learning capabilities and behavioural analysis. The ChatGPT frenzy expands to autonomous driving features to improve Level 2-4 functionality.
   1. Chinese startup Haomo.ai unveiled its DriveGPT, which applies Reinforced Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF) into the generative pre-trained transformer. The company, which is backed by Great Wall Motors and is a supplier of three carmakers including Wey, claims that by introducing data about situations in which human drivers take over, the model continuously optimizes autonomous vehicles’ real-time decision-making ability on roads.
   2. In May 2023, Faraday Future unveiled its Generative AI stack for in-vehicle usage.
9. There are promising new applications of the Metaverse in Mobility spanning across in-vehicle features for ADAS-HMI and entertainment
10. Automated door-opening with sensors for object detection

Automotive Activity Tracker – Trending news and players

Stay-up-to-date with technologies and players

Live Tracker of the automotive industry’s buzzing news segmented by:

• Priority: High-Mid-Low to separate reality from hype
• Technology taxonomy: CASES, +50 Trends, +1000 Tech Taxonomies
• Timeline: to help you understand future product roadmaps
• Market: scout emerging innovation hubs and regional requirements

The Tracker enables you to dive into

• Announcements: Analysis of strategic plans and why they matter
• Collaborations: who is working with whom, commercial & development partnerships
• New product launches and what advantages they bring to the market
• Regulation
• Supply chain: by component and vehicle model (where possible)
• Tech development: innovations, patents, academia, pilots, concepts

Automotive Technology Supplier Landscape

Carmaker Strategies in AD, EVs, Digital and Circular Autos

Learn about the status of autonomous driving and the outlook for 2030 in the major car markets

• What are the latest announcements about new ADAS features, such as AEB, TSR, ACC, LKA, TJA, in leading carmakers in Europe, the US and China?
• What are the new product launches in EVs, BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs from top carmakers?
• Which new technologies are coming to vehicle interiors for safety, convenience, and communication?
• What are the emerging trends in sensor fitment strategies, architectures, and supply chains?

Ranking and tracking of 3000+ start-ups to help you identify M&A targets, partners or new business models

• Segmentation by: Electric Vehicles, Batteries, Sustainability, AI, Connected Cars, Shared Mobility and more
• Monthly update of data: Funding stages captured include Seed, Series-A, B and more
• Exclusive access to interviews with innovative Start-ups
• Auto2x ranking of Start-potential to reveal opportunities for investment or partnerships

Automotive Regulatory Tracker

The approval of SAE Level 3-Conditional Automation under the UNECE ALKS regulation allows drivers to take their eyes off the road while the vehicle is driving and monitoring the road. This could lead to a greater utilization of the time spent inside the car by engaging into side tasks, such as reading. New business models arise to monetize the new opportunities, e.g., in new entertainment features, on-demand autonomous features, SOTA updates.

However, the mass market adoption of Level 3 is uncertain given the high cost/benefit ratio, i.e., the marginal impact on safety and driver convenience from L2 comparing to the massive engineering challenge. Hence, carmakers are taking different approaches to reach L4 in an attempt to gain competitive advantage and reshape profitability.

One thing is certain though, L4/fully-automated vehicles will revolutionize transportation and mobility leading to what we call Intelligent Mobility. This includes the rising car-sharing and ride-sharing businesses as well as new vehicle ownership models in the Passenger Car market.

Regulatory amendment in UNECE finally allowed Level 3-Autonomy in 2021 but global deployment is still fragmented

After almost 3 years in the making, the amendment of UNECE Reg. No.79-Steering Equipment will allow Level 3 in countries adopting the new rules called “Automated Lane Keeping System”.

The ALKS regulation is set to apply to 60 countries including the UK, Japan, and EU member states from January 2021, to enable the safe introduction of ‘Level 3’ automation features in certain traffic environments. 

UN regulations manage pre-sale Type Approval, i.e. the Regulation sets out clear performance-based requirements that must be met by car manufacturers before ALKS-equipped vehicles can be sold within countries mandating the Regulation.

“UNECE’s Automated Lane Keeping System regulation is applicable for LEVEL 3, for low-speed (60 km/h) highway-only”

We see Europe and Japan benefiting from the changes in regulation due to the combination of technological capabilities in Level 3 from their domestic carmakers and the favorable political framework to remove roadblocks and establish their respective markets as key innovation hubs.

What are the key challenges in the amendment of regulatory requirements for higher levels of Autonomous Driving?

1. As automotive and technology players race to develop and deploy higher vehicle autonomy to unlock enhanced safety in passenger cars and commercial vehicles, new revenues (pricing models of Lv.4, AMoD) and USPs, the slow amendment progress of regulation and the lack of harmonization create barriers for their commercialisation strategies
2. Regulation needs to transition from driver-centric to Automated Driving Systems (ADS) to allow today’s Supervised driving (SAE Level 0-2) to shift to Conditionally (SAE Lv3) & Completely-Unsupervised driving; (Lv.4-5). But lack of regulatory standardization across major car markets will create regional hubs (aka “islands”, such as cities where technology is allowed) and require design variation from OEMs
3. The vehicle automation mix is changing with the proliferation of Lv2 driving features. In 2020, Euro NCAP released the ratings of 10 Lv.2 / Highway Assist systems marking Audi’s Q8, BMW 3, and GLE “Very Good”.
4. With the introduction of Lv.3 allowing Conditionally-Unsupervised driving and vehicles with different levels of autonomy co-existing on the road, clear safety requirements are needed in the form of standardized, international AD regulation which could mitigate scepticism of higher vehicle autonomy

Who is this for

The Automotive Start-up Database is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving automotive industry. This comprehensive database caters to a diverse audience, including:

• Investors: Venture capitalists, angel investors, and private equity firms seeking to identify and support promising automotive start-ups with game-changing technologies.
• Industry Experts: Researchers, analysts, and consultants seeking to track emerging trends, identify potential disruptors, and gain insights into the competitive landscape.
• Media Professionals: Journalists, bloggers, and reporters seeking to stay informed about the latest innovations, uncover compelling stories, and connect with industry experts.
• Automotive Professionals: Engineers, designers, and executives working in the automotive industry, seeking to stay abreast of cutting-edge technologies, identify potential partners, and gain a competitive edge.
• Start-ups: Entrepreneurs and innovators developing disruptive technologies and business models, seeking to connect with potential investors, partners, and industry leaders.

With its vast repository of data, advanced search capabilities, and insightful analytics, the Automotive Start-up Database empowers users to navigate the dynamic automotive landscape, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions.