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2020/12/17
Uhnder Closes Series C Funding
Total Funding of $145M to Accelerate Transition from Analog to Digital Radar
Uhnder, a company disrupting the mobility market through digital perception, announced today that it has closed a $45 million Series C funding in November 2020. The round was led by Uhnder’s newest customer and partner, Sensata Technologies, with participation by new and existing investors. Sensata intends to use Uhnder’s digital imaging radar chip in applications for markets where they are a key supplier, including mining, agriculture, aerospace, and construction. Uhnder is providing digital 4D software defined imaging radar technology that provides greater performance compared to today’s analog radar technology. The development marks a significant advancement for the autonomous vehicles industry in particular, with improved resolution and detection capabilities that lead to increased safety of people, roads and cities.
Uhnder’s latest round of financing adds to earlier rounds, including a Series A round led by Sands Capital Ventures in 2017, and a Series B round led by Khosla Ventures in 2019. In total, Uhnder has raised over $145 million in financing from leading venture capital firms, key customers, end users, and strategic semiconductor partners including Magna, Khosla Ventures, Sands Capital Ventures, ACME Capital, Lockheed Martin, SAIC, and new investors EDOM, TDK Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures. This support strengthens Uhnder’s position as a strategic differentiator for next generation automotive radar systems and accelerates the company’s ability to provide customers with a significantly higher performance solution for their perception systems.
“Sensata is pleased to partner with Uhnder as a customer and strategic investor,” said Steven Beringhause, EVP and CTO of Sensata Technologies. “Our perception systems will be deployed globally across a range of applications. It’s exciting to support the evolution to higher performance digital radar, enabling our customers to deliver increasing levels of safety in their end applications.”
Uhnder’s innovative, fully digital 4D software defined imaging radar technology uses Digital Code Modulation (DCM) to replace traditional analog frequency modulation. This breakthrough architecture enables unrivaled angular resolution and interference rejection. Uhnder’s use of DCM also allows High Contrast Resolution (HCR) to resolve juxtaposed objects previously undetectable by traditional radar sensors. Customers requiring best-in-class radar for autonomous systems are fueling demand for Uhnder’s chip and system solutions.
“We are pleased to see strong investor and market response to our digital radar product, which will enable our customers to advance mobility to the next level,” said Uhnder CEO, Manju Hegde. “With HCR, bicyclists, children, or pedestrians hidden by a large object such as a truck or an SUV can be detected early enough for the vehicle to take evasive action.”
“Uhnder’s 4D sensing can quickly detect, track, and generate a digital image of obstacles with precision that hasn't been seen in the past,” says Sven Strohband, Managing Director at Khosla Ventures, lead investor for Series B. “Our investment in Uhnder brings the market increasingly closer to realizing autonomous transportation.”
“The automation of everything, not just vehicles, is upon us,” said Ian Ratcliffe, Managing Partner at Sands Capital Ventures, lead investor for Series A. “Uhnder’s ground-breaking digital software defined radar enables customers to quickly customize their perception stack to the unique features of their application, which I expect will spur a barrage of innovation.”
Uhnder’s flagship product, VoxelTM, is expected to be in production and automotive qualified in 2021.
