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Chinese autonomous driving firm DeepRoute.ai raises US$100 million as adoption accelerates

The Shenzhen-based start-up expects nearly 200,000 cars to be equipped with its advanced assisted driving system by the end of 2025

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DeepRoute.ai’s system can navigate urban traffic similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD), which the electric vehicle maker expects to launch in China in coming months. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese autonomous driving technology developer DeepRoute.ai has raised US$100 million from an carmaker, the company said on Monday, as it looks to bolster mass adoption of its systems on vehicles ahead of Tesla in China.

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The Shenzhen-based start-up expects nearly 200,000 cars to be equipped with its advanced assisted driving system on Chinese roads by the end of 2025, CEO Maxwell Zhou told Reuters in an interview, up from about 20,000 now.

The system can navigate urban traffic similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD), which the US carmaker expects to launch in China in coming months.

DeepRoute.ai plans to launch more than 10 models with its carmaker clients in 2025, Zhou said. The first model equipped with its system launched in August and two more models, including one under the smart brand co-owned by Geely and Mercedes-Benz, will be delivered to consumers this year, he said.

Maxwell Zhou, CEO of DeepRoute.ai, poses for a picture at the company’s office in Shenzhen on July 27, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Maxwell Zhou, CEO of DeepRoute.ai, poses for a picture at the company’s office in Shenzhen on July 27, 2022. Photo: Reuters
The growing fleet will generate revenue for the company via a technology licensing fee per car and collect data that is key for its artificial intelligence technology to evolve faster to handle more complicated traffic situations, Zhou said.
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