Mapbox Raises $280 Million From Softbank, Broadens Auto Footprint
Company says funding will fuel investments into AI location services and broaden its footprint in the automotive industry.
Mapbox has announced the completion of a $280 million Series E funding round, led by SoftBank Group, to expand its AI location services and footprint into automotive markets.
The company said the additional funding will accelerate its efforts to bring AI to autos, particularly with new ADAS features for automated driving. The expansion comes at a time where automakers are required to meet Europe’s GSR and NCAP—with real-time maps being a foundation to meet those requirements.
"It's this combination of data and AI processing that is unique to Mapbox," said Mapbox CEO Peter Sirota, in a statement. “This investment will allow Mapbox to bring its AI technology closer to the sophisticated camera and [lidar] sensors inside the vehicle, so split-second decisions can be made with the best data possible."
Mapbox customers include Toyota TM 0.00%↑, General Motors GM 0.00%↑ and BMW. Its services include animated radar maps for The Weather Company and Instacart CART 0.00%↑. In January, the company rolled out its Mapbox 3D Live Navigation at CES that seeks to improve a driver’s ability to understand their digital map in different scenarios.
Mapbox, which will launch new products at SoftBank World 2023 in Tokyo on Oct. 4-5, says that companies can leverage its live map data to analyze how their business performs via location intelligence.
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Google To Pay California $93 Million Over Deceptive Location Data
Google GOOG 0.00%↑ has agreed to a $93 million settlement with the state of California over the company’s deceptive way they mislead users managing location data. As Location Business News has reported, the company has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to state governments to settle lawsuits over location privacy practices.
In this complaint, Google asked users to choose how much location data, or whether it could be used at all. The complaint said that users were told they could enhance their Google Maps experience.
The gist of many of the state’s complaints were that Google made false assurances that users would have their location history not stored if they turned it off. However, the company still used user location to target ads to them.
The company is shelling out the money, but is not admitting to any wrongdoing. The settlement calls for Google to be more transparent about location tracking and a number of other provisions.
Google Opens Access to Road Mapper
In other company news, Google has announced that it is seeking more contributors to its Road Mapper. Road Mapper, which is an invite-only platform, allows contributors to add missing features and roads to Google Maps.
The company said, in a blog post, that its contributors have mapped more than 1.5 kilometers of roads via Road Mapper, which started two years ago.
In a shot at Google, Hivemapper said it has mapped 50 million total kilometers via its crowdsourced mapping projects. In addition, its community has collected 3 billion street-level images (taking a shot at Meta META 0.00%↑, which has accumulated 1.8 billion images in 10 years via its Mapillary platform).
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Geotab Partners with BMW Group for Connected Mobility Solution
Geotab has partnered with BMW Group to integrate its data into Geotab’s fleet management platform in 30 European countries starting this month. Targeted customers include fleets, leasing and rental companies, car sharing and ride-hailing organizations.
Geotab is going big on sustainability as it says analytics can feed into those efforts, which will be mandatory in the European Union, via a Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, next year. The company cites fleet operators using its platform to optimize routes, increase fuel efficiency and identify electrification potential and reduce idling times based on their vehicle data.
The integrated telematics functions of BMW Group vehicles can be combined with the MyGeotab platform's tools with the hope that users will benefit from immediate OEM data for their fleets.
“Working with specialized telematics companies offers many advantages for vehicle manufacturers and customers. OEMs do not have to build their own infrastructures for data analysis and visualization but can rather feed their data into the telematics platform via the cloud using modern APIs.” says Christoph Ludewig, Geotab’s vice president, OEM Europe, in a statement.
The MyGeotab platform can integrate OEM data from BMW, Renault, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, DS, and Mercedes-Benz, among others, as well as data from Geotab's own retrofitted telematic device, the company said.
In other BMW Group news, the company has partnered with Avanci for a 5G vehicle license, covering BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. The Avanci 5G Vehicle program provides a license for 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G connectivity, including cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X).
Contact: Tony Brown, Geotab, anthonybrown@geotab.com, 00 44 7796 888955, www.geotab.com/uk.
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Other Location News:.
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Top News:
😠 ORBCOMM Ransomware Attack Causes Trucking Fleet Management Outage. “Trucking and fleet management solutions provider ORBCOMM has confirmed that a ransomware attack is behind recent service outages preventing trucking companies from managing their fleets.”
👍 DOT Complementary PNT Action Plan - A New Hope? Dana Goward: “The U.S. Transportation Department unveiled its new Complementary PNT Action Plan at the CGSIC meeting last week. Among other things it says the government will start purchasing PNT services to protect itself starting in mid-2024. BTW—policy left over from the last administration says the rest of us are on our own.”
📱 India Plans To Make Navic Support Mandatory for All Smartphones From 2025.
🌎 Maxar Technologies Reorganizes as Two Separate Businesses. “Maxar Space Infrastructure and Maxar Intelligence have separate CEOs. The company also is making an unspecified number of job cuts.”
💰 FERNRIDE Raises $50M Series A to Scale Autonomous Yard Trucking. Germany-based autonomous trucking innovator FERNRIDE has closed a further $19 million in its Series A funding, pushing the total round amount to $50 million.
📌 AT&T and Comcast Are Joining 5G OI Lab as Founding Partners. “The 5G OI Lab also announced its Batch #8 cohort with $313 million in venture capital raised and 17 multi-stage startups joining the 5G OI Lab’s fall program, which begins this week. The multi-stage startups selected for the Lab’s fall Batch #8 represent enterprise solutions in fields such as real-time logistics and tracking, robotics, private mobile network security and IoT enablement.”
🤞 PreAct Technologies Says Future Cameras Will Combat AI-Generated Fakes. “Advances in Computer Vision Will Enable Cameras to Detect Inconsistencies in AI-generated Content.”
🙂 Another Record Breaking Transmission for LoRaWAN. “Recently, a newly recorded transmission covering a distance of 1,336km (830 miles) has shattered the previously held record. This feat was reported by The Things Network. An STEVAL-STRKT01 LoRa IoT tracking device from STMicroelectronics, typically used for asset tracking, animal tracking, and fleet management, was employed running The Things Stack Community Edition.”
Maps:
📲 Google Lost Map Traffic With Apple Maps Switch on iPhones, Executive Says. “Apple AAPL 0.00%↑ replaced Google Maps on iPhones with its own app in 2012. Google used maps switch to estimate impact of search default.” (Bloomberg signup required).
🗺 Google Maps Just Lost One of Its Best Features, Google Must Bring It Back, Or Else. “Not long ago, Google started updating the color scheme on Google Maps with a very controversial approach. The new colors make everything on Google Maps harder to distinguish, including roads, forests, parks, and buildings.”
🌍 Opaz launches Omap Platform. “The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (Opaz) launched Omap Platform, a digital portal for integrated geographical maps that include all-inclusive data of masterplans for the special economic zones, free zones, and industrial cities overseen by Opaz.”
👌 Zapmap Data Available for Purchase Through Nevis. “Cenex, the non-profit research and technology consultancy, and Zapmap have to help local authorities access information on EV chargepoints.”
📱 How To Download Offline Maps in Apple Maps on iOS 17.
😮 Google Sued for Negligence After Man Drove off Collapsed Bridge While Following Map Directions
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
👍 Cruise Unveils a Wheelchair-Accessible Robotaxi, With Plans to Launch in 2024. “Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company backed by General Motors GM 0.00%↑ revealed a wheelchair-accessible robotaxi that it says could start picking up disabled passengers as soon as next year.”
🚚 California Truck Drivers Ask Newsom to Sign Bill Saving Jobs as Self-Driving Big Rigs Are Tested. “California lawmakers, union leaders and truck drivers are trying to steer Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom toward signing into law a proposal that could save jobs as self-driving trucks are tested for their safety on the roads.”
☹ As Cars Get More Connected, Cars Are a Soft Target for Hackers. “Hacking into your own car isn’t exactly easy if you don’t know how to use computers, but it’s an exciting option for those who have the skills to break into automakers’ software and unlock free options that otherwise would have been paywalled.”
Drones:
💰 Drone Startup Shield AI Valued at $2.5 Billion in New Funding Round. “Shield AI, a startup that makes autonomous drone technology for military applications, is raising $150 million from investors, according to people familiar with the discussions.”
✈ Ukraine Finds New Way to Target Russia With Drones. “Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) striking Russian territory have exploded long after they hit the ground, potentially adding a new dimension to drone warfare, a Russian media outlet has reported.”
🙂 Buckeye State To Host Aura's First Commercial Operations Purpose-Built for Autonomous Flight. “The Ohio Department of Transportation’s FlyOhio initiative and AURA Network Systems have jointly announced that AURA’s first commercial network operations purpose-built for autonomous flight will be based at Ohio’s Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.”
⚡ Proximus Tests Warehouse Management Using 5G, Drones and AI. “The carrier noted that the project aims to leverage 5G and artificial intelligence to autonomously fly a drone into a covered storage warehouse to enable real-time information to be transmitted to the company’s stock manager.”
🚓 First Look: Building a Better Police Drone. “Brinc's new Lemur 2 is a versatile purpose-built tactical drone that can fly into buildings to quickly gather intelligence and help communicate with suspects.”
Financials:
✔ Semtech Announces Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 Results.
😮 Don't Ignore the Insider Selling in MiX Telematics.
💲 Navenio Secures $6.3m for Patient Care Delivery Teams. The round, led by Oxford Science Enterprises, will support Navenio’s expansion into the US and the development of additional efficiency innovations.
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Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Digital Matter Launches Barra Range
Digital Matter's new battery-powered IoT asset tracking range allows businesses to monitor assets that previously presented return on investment (ROI) hurdles due to the steep expenses linked with existing tracking solutions, the company said. These use cases include pallet tracking, cargo, trolleys, packaging, and more.
Designed to be ‘deployed once’ with a battery life of over 10+ years, the Barra range reduces device ownership and management costs by eliminating recharging cycles and frequent battery replacements, the company said. The Barra range features a rugged housing with a slim form factor that can be installed with tamper detection and activation.
Contact: Shay Kettner, Digital Matter, shay@digitalmatter.com, www.digitalmatter.com/barra.
Motorq Partners With Mercedes-Benz Connectivity Services
Motorq has partnered with Mercedes-Benz Connectivity Services to provide its customers with data solutions for fleets. Some of the fleet insight benefits include driver safety, vehicle health, electrification strategies and others, the company said.
Fleet operators can now leverage Mercedes-Benz vehicle data through Motorq’s connected vehicle portal. Motorq’s API allows seamless integration of Motorq’s analytics and Mercedes-Benz vehicle data, the company said.
Contact: Motorq, contactus@motorq.com, www.motorq.com.
Skydio Launches X10
Skydio has launched a new enterprise drone, the Skydio X10. The Skydio X10 features new data capture cameras, autonomy and hardware.
The drone is targeted to several industries: defense, energy, public safety, transportation, construction and communications. Some use cases include drone as first responder, X10D for military applications and critical infrastructure inspection.
Contact: Skydio, skydio@aircoverpr.com, www.skydio.com.
U-blox Launches GNSS Antenna
Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox has rolled out the ANN-MB5, a multi-band (L1/L5/E5a/B2a/NavIC) GNSS antenna that enhances the company’s meter-level positioning solutions. The antenna is optimized for the u-blox F10 platform, the company said.
The ANN-MB5 features concurrent reception of multiple navigation systems, including NavIC. The unit features a compact design and excellent price-to-performance ratio, the company said.
Contact: u-blox, www.u-blox.com/en/product/ann-mb5-antenna.
Spire Global Awarded $2.8 Million NOAA Contract
Spire Global SPIR 0.00%↑ was awarded a $2.8 million, 12-month contract by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for satellite weather data. The contract is part of NOAA's Commercial Weather Data Pilot (CWDP) Ocean Surface Winds Pilot Study. Spire will provide NOAA with Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) observation data, focusing on ocean surface wind speeds.
Contact: Sarah Freeman, Spire, sarah.freeman@spire.com, www.spire.com.
Trimble Launches Cloud-Based Appian Daily Planner
Trimble TRMB 0.00%↑ has introduced Appian Daily Planner, a cloud-based solution for multi-stop, multi-vehicle route optimization that improves asset utilization, on-time deliveries and customer service. Appian Daily Planner is designed to streamline and optimize the complex routing needs of multi-stop mixed and private fleets, the company said. The solution features real-time tracking and monitoring that offers visual cues and alerts to provide dispatchers key metrics.
Contact: Trimble, www.trimble.com.
Mullen Announces Launch of Fleet Telematics Solution
Mullen Automotive MULN 0.00%↑ has launched Commercial Pulse, a telematics solution for vehicle diagnostics and fleet optimization. Commercial Pulse is telematics AI system that provides drivers and fleet companies a connected fleet of vehicles with maintenance alerts, real-time vehicle location, driver safety, battery state of charge, metrics and more, the company said.
The end-user dashboard features asset and trip management, electric vehicle and driver performance, geofencing and reporting. Commercial Pulse is available via two mobile applications – Mullen Commercial Pulse Fleet and Mullen Commercial Pulse Driver.
Contact: Mullen Automotive, (714) 613-1900, www.MullenUSA.com.
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Trimble Rolls Out R580 GNSS System
Trimble TRMB 0.00%↑ has launched its R580 survey-grade GNSS system to enable surveying, mapping and GIS, civil construction and utilities professionals to capture centimeter-level positioning and boost productivity in the field, the company said.
R580 featuresTrimble’s ProPoint GNSS engine and EVEREST Plus technology to identify and remove unwanted multipath signals, the company said. Using the Trimble Maxwell 7 chipset technology, the receiver provides fast processing, anti-spoofing capability and the ability to track all available GNSS constellations, the company said.
Contact: Trimble, www.trimble.com.
ORCODA Signs Agreement with Koala Cars for ORCODA RENTAL CONNECT Trial
ORCODA has signed an agreement with S & N Bennett Investments, owners of Koala Cars, a large car rental agency in Australia with more than 1,000 vehicles. The partnership includes a six-week trial of ORCODA RENTAL CONNECT, a mobile application designed to provide a service to book a car, make payments, sign customer agreements, locate the vehicle, open and start the vehicle from within an app, the company said. ORCODA RENTAL CONNECT features full digital fleet management, including real-time vehicle tracking.
Contact: ORCODA, www.orcoda.com.
UnaBiz Named Frost & Sullivan’s 2023 Asia-Pacific Company of the Year
UnaBiz has won Frost & Sullivan’s 2023 Asia-Pacific Company of the Year in the Internet of Things solutions industry. The honor recognizes UnaBiz as “a trailblazing market leader,” the company said.
Frost mentioned’s the company’s recent acquisition of Sigfox, a LPWAN standard and continued investment in research and development as part of the criteria for the award.
Contact: UnaBiz, www.unabiz.com.
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Bill Clinton, Mobileye Co-Founder Launch $1 Billion Climate Fund.
Matteo Barale has been named head of U.S. sales and business development at Fixposition.
Abhijit Sengupta, head of business for Southeast Asia and India at HERE, has been appointed as chair of the Smart Mobility Committee at the European Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.
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