- Metawave announced it has raised a Series A round of funding led by mobility supplier DENSO
DENSO — the second largest mobility supplier in the world — announced it led the Series A round of funding for Metawave Corporation. Metawave is a leading startup focused on the future of radar sensing for automated driving and wireless solutions for 5G deployments. And by backing the company, DENSO will harness Metawave’s technologies to accelerate development of a smart radar system for autonomous cars.
Mirae Asset Capital, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, and existing Metawave investor BOLD Capital Partners also joined the round. DENSO invested in Metawave for the first time in 2018.
The problem with today’s sensors is that they alone cannot meet the safety and smooth-riding requirements of automakers. This is why Metawave is working on radar sensing with its state-of-the-art analog radar — which provides longer range, higher resolution, greater angular accuracy, and intelligent object classification compared to traditional radars.
These traits allow automakers to provide vehicles with next-generation adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, and automated emergency braking. Together, these analog-radar enabled features increase road safety and increases the likelihood that advanced driver assistance systems are accepted in the long-term.
“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. 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,” said Maha Achour, founder and CEO of Metawave.
Along with radar sensing, Metawave is developing its leading-edge TURBO active repeaters and ECHO passive relays to support the implementation of 5G. Plus these platforms offer faster, more efficient, and more economic 5G deployments for bringing high-speed and reliable connectivity to billions of users in cities, office buildings, stadiums, and under-serviced areas around the world.
“We’ve been working with Metawave since its founding and are continually impressed with the innovation their team creates and delivers,” added Tony Cannestra, director of Corporate Ventures at DENSO and Metawave board member. “Automakers are betting big on autonomous vehicles and one of the many things they need to make that a reality is innovative radar systems. DENSO is excited to continue to partner with Metawave and leverage their impressive technology as we continue to quickly create new value in the mobility industry.”
