SteerLight, a spin-off of CEA-Leti (Grenoble-based electronics and computer science research laboratory) that is revolutionizing Lidar (light dedection and range) technology using silicon photonics, announces the closing of a €2 million funding round by a group of investors led by Stellantis Ventures, together with Quantonation and LIFTT, Venture capital focused on deeptech investments. This financing is in addition to a €1.2 million loan granted by three banks, including Bpifrance.
François Simoens, founder and CEO of SteerLight, says in a statement: “Our company uses CEA innovations and converts them into practical solutions. Our functional demonstrator has confirmed its usefulness in the laboratory. This round of funding will now allow us to develop one that will be tested in an industrial environment and accelerate the design of the first Lidar prototype. Subsequently, a further round of funding will be needed to accelerate the production of this device and to develop the second generation, which will target customers in the industrial and automotive sectors, aiming for mass production and a competitive price.”
The capital raised will enable SteerLight to continue developing its microchip-based Lidar prototype. This technology, which leverages silicon photonics, promises to offer substantial improvements in performance, cost, and compactness over existing Lidar solutions. By adopting an alternative method to the mechanical technologies used by other Lidars by favoring photonics, SteerLight creates more resistant chips, with more accurate rendering and less exposure to parasitism.
Industrial & Automotive Applications
SteerLight’s Lidar module will initially be dedicated to Industry 4.0, with the production of sensors for industrial applications that will help autonomous robots orient themselves faster and safer, reducing the risks of collision. The sensors will then be converted for use in infrastructure solutions, smart cities and transport vehicles in uncontrolled environments.
“Identifying innovative technologies that provide added value to our customers at scale is a crucial part of our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan,” said Ned Curic, chief engineering and technology officer at Stellantis. Improvements in autonomous driving remain a priority for Stellantis. Thanks to SteerLight’s revolutionary technology, it will now be possible to expand and improve ADAS applications.”
Jean-Gabriel Boinot-Tramoni, principal at Quantonation said: Steerlight leverages new innovations in embedded photonics to drive large-scale adoption of Lidar for industrial applications. Their technology enables the monolithic integration of laser and sensing mechanisms into a scalable Lidar product. We are excited about this investment and to be able to support Steerlight in the technological development of new and important products.”
Aurora Castello, project manager at LIFTT, adds: “The Lidar market is set for explosive growth in the coming years. Steerlight’s technology is at the forefront of the industry’s technology roadmap, which is exactly why LIFTT is excited to invest in Steerlight – their state-of-the-art LiDAR solution is a game-changer advancement and we are committed to supporting them on their innovation journey.”
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