China, Jan.21 – Black Sesame Technologies, an NIO-backed autonomous driving chip maker, announced a strategic partnership with MAXIEYE, a local autonomous driving technology provider.
About Black Sesame Technologies
Time: Founded in 2016
Location: Initially based in Shanghai
Employees: 300 employees, 80% of them are in R&D
Founders: Mr. Shan Jizhang and Mr. Liu Weihong, are experts in image science and automotive industries, respectively, and lead a professional team averaging 15+ year industry experiences.
Business: An artificial intelligence company focused on image processing, perception algorithm, and SOC design.
Key News：
- With its AI SOC computing platform, Black Sesame Technologies provides customised ADAS / AD solutions for 1sttier automobile companies such as Bosch, SAIC, SGM, BYD, etc.
- In January 2018, Black Sesame Technologies received nearly CNY100 million in Series A+ financing, led by NIO Capital
- In August 2019, Black Sesame Technologies released its 1st AI chip, which outperforms its competitiors, Tesla and Mobileye.
- In June 2020, Black Sesame Technologies released its 2st AI chip, which is able to support L3 and above level of autonomous driving.
- In February 2021, Black Sesame Technologies, as a strategic partner of AICC, will provide one-stop technical support for the “Intelligent Vehicle Base Brain”, from autonomous driving computing platform and software algorithm development tool chain, to jointly enable the implementation of autonomous driving technology.
About MAXIEYE
Time: Founded in 2016
Location: Initially based in Shanghai
Founders: Mr. Zhou Shengyan, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 2008, majoring in computer vision and machine learning, and studying under the founder of NuTonomy, an autonomous driving company. In 2016, he founded MAXIEYE, and has been working on the field of autonomous driving.
Business: A high-tech company specialising in the development of advanced assisted driving ADAS products and autonomous driving systems for automobiles. The main knowledge areas covered are: visual recognition algorithms, AI deep learning algorithms, tracking fusion algorithms, feature map construction and self-localization algorithms, path planning, vehicle control, system testing, etc.
The cooperation between Black Sesame Technologies and MAXIEYE
Black Sesame and MAXIEYE will be based on their respective technology and business fulcrums in the intelligent vehicle industry chain, the two companies will complement each other’s strengths and join forces to create advanced autonomous driving system products based on high computing power, multi-sensor fusion control, as well as high and low speed integrated (driving and parking) architecture of the industry’s mainstream demand for solutions to serve the majority of industry chain customers and partners with high-performance, localised intelligent driving solutions. MAXIEYE and Black Sesame will be enabling the industrialization of intelligent mobility.
MAXIEYE and Black Sesame will release the next generation of advanced intelligent driving platform products in 2022, covering high and low speed scenarios, with high performance central integrated domain controller, to achieve L2+ driving and parking intelligence all-in-one functions, to serve car manufacturers and partners next generation of automotive intelligence roadmap layout.
The significance of the cooperation
In the future, as smart driving technology continues to evolve, industry-wide demand for hardware such as the underlying chip and software performance such as algorithm systems continues to rise, with a high degree of safety and reliability, full-time, multi-scene experience, and the ultimate in comprehensive commercial landing capabilities such as cost, all of which will become key factors in driving smart driving to scale.
