Silicon Valley News Update
Week Ending May 19, 2017
This week we saw some interesting developments across the Automotive ecosystem and beyond. Some are some key highlights:
- Lyft, Waymo to cooperate on self-driving cars. Read More
- Toyota-Backed Flying Cars to Take Flight Next Year. Read More
- Cypress Expands Long-term Collaboration with Bosch Automotive. Read More
- Google wins injunction in trade secrets fight against Uber. Read More
- Volvo and Audi turn to Android for next-gen connected cars. Read More
- What if Apple becomes Tesla before Tesla becomes Apple? Read More
- 9 Startups developing LiDAR sensors for cars. Read More
- Toyota picks Nvidia processors to power its autonomous cars. Read More
- Magna teams up with Silicon Valley minds. Read More
- Delphi joins BMW–Intel–Mobileye autonomous car partnership. Read More
- Automotive cybersecurity firm Karamba raises $12M in Series B. Read More
- Apple isn’t working on a car — it’s working on something much bigger. Read More
- NVIDIA’s supercomputer to accelerate the self-driving car race. Read More
HMP Commentary:
Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google and ride-hailing company, Lyft, have announced a strategic partnership. They are joining their forces to accelerate the roll out of autonomous vehicle testing on public roads and compete with powerhouse Uber. Volvo Cars and Google have announced a partnership a few days ahead of the annual Google I/O tech show, the automaker aims to use Android-based apps to develop the next generation of its in-car connectivity systems. Toyota’s autonomous car unit has announced a partnership with NVIDIA using its Drive PX Platform for future self-driving car computers. Cypress Semiconductor has been selected by Bosch for its next-generation video-based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Global automotive supplier Magna wants to contribute to future innovation projects and provide direction to its technology road maps through partnerships with the top minds from Silicon Valley. Delphi Corporation has joined BMW, Intel and Mobileye and will help to integrate autonomous driving systems to develop the building blocks of autonomous vehicles. They are projecting to produce automated vehicle systems by 2021.
While Tesla has become the most valuable U.S car maker, the presence of self-driving cars is continuously growing in the streets of Silicon Valley and could potentially cause problems. Apple recently applied for a permit to test out autonomous vehicles. A bit of bad news for Uber that may hurt the ride-hailing company’s own self-driving research: a federal judge has ordered Uber to return Waymo files taken by an engineer and prevent the company from using that technology. The future of widespread autonomous driving is linked to the development of LIDAR technology and many parties are starting to show stronger interest in the following suppliers: Quanergy, Luminar Technologies, Oryx Vision to name a few. The provider of cybersecurity solutions, Karamba Security has raised $12M in a Series B that brings its total investment to $17M.
About Harvest Management Partners LLC:
Harvest Management Partners LLC is a Silicon Valley based investment bank, specializing in company financial assessment, advisory services, plan of action development, strategic marketing, and worldwide negotiation of mergers and acquisitions. Since 2010, Harvest Management Partners has assisted over 40 technology clients within the software, semiconductor, security, IP and automotive electronics sectors. They are also the exclusive Silicon Valley advisors for Fiat Chrysler Automotive (NYSE: FCAU) and TE Connectivity (NYSE: TEL). With a combined history of 60+ years of direct operational experience and relationships with venture capitalists and C-Level executives worldwide, Harvest Management Partners is well positioned to provide a comprehensive set of unique services for their clients. For more information, visit www.harvestmp.com