Denso, a mobility supplier with North American headquarters in Southfield, led the Series A funding round for Metawave Corp. in California, a startup focused on radar sensing for automotive driving and wireless solutions for 5G deployments. Denso will harness Metawave’s technologies to accelerate development of a smart radar system for autonomous cars.
By Grace Turner - November 6, 2019
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Denso led the Series A funding round for Metawave, which focuses on radar sensing and 5G. // Image courtesy of Metawave Corp. Denso, a mobility supplier with North American headquarters in Southfield, led the Series A funding round for Metawave Corp. in California, a startup focused on radar sensing for automotive driving and wireless solutions for 5G deployments. Denso will harness Metawave’s technologies to accelerate development of a smart radar system for autonomous cars.
Other Series A participants included Mirae Asset Capital, NTT Docomo Ventures, and Bold Capital Partners. Denso first invested in Metawave in 2018. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Metawave’s analog radar platform provides longer range, higher resolution, and greater angular accuracy and intelligent object classification than traditional radars. The technologies are necessary for next-generation adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, and automated emergency braking. Today’s sensors do not meet automakers’ safety and smooth-riding requirements.
“We’ve been working with Metawave since its founding and are continually impressed with the innovation their team creates and delivers,” says Tony Cannestra, director of corporate ventures at Denso and board member for Metawave. “Automakers are betting big on autonomous vehicles, and one of the many things they need to make that a reality is innovative radar systems.”
Metawave also is developing its Turbo active repeaters and Echo passive relays to support the implementation of 5G. These platforms offer faster, more efficient, and more economic 5G deployments to bring high-speed and reliable connectivity to billions of users around the world.
“As demands change in mobility and connectivity, we’re proud to work with our automotive partners, like Denso, to advance radar capabilities in vehicles and with our telecom customers to provide 5G solutions,” says Maha Achour, founder and CEO of Metawave. “Even though we are a young company, we’re playing a key role in helping to create a future where roads are safer, and society is more efficient and productive.”
Denso is a $48.3 billion global company that develops technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. It has 221 facilities in 35 countries that produce thermal, powertrain, mobility, electrification, and electronic systems. Its global headquarters are in Japan.