Trimble Investing $200 Million in Startups
Early stage companies targeted in the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries.
Trimble [TRMB] has launched a $200 million venture fund that will focus on early and growth-stage companies in the agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation industries.
The fund, called Trimble Ventures, focuses on companies “with the potential for technology-enabled innovation and disruption in the digital transformation of the industries Trimble serves,” the company said.
Trimble said that it offers the selected companies hands-on expertise, including access to customers, markets and distribution. Trimble’s Rob Antevy and Phil Sawarynski will be the fund’s managing directors, according to the company’s website.
The fund will invest in early and growth-stage companies in artificial intelligence; augmented, virtual and mixed reality; autonomy and robotics; blockchain; Internet of Things (IoT); analytics; and sustainability, the company said.
Rob Painter, company president and CEO, said that the new partners can help “extend Trimble's platforms to better serve our collective customers.”
Painter said that the company exceeded its financial expectations during a second quarter earnings call. “We achieved record levels of revenue in many of our businesses, with exceptionally strong performance in machine control in civil construction, guidance in agriculture and survey in mapping,” he said.
Contact: Lea Ann McNabb, Trimble, (408) 481-7808, leaann_mcnabb@trimble.com, ventures.trimble.com.
SFL Awarded Norwegian Space Agency Contract for Maritime Tracking Microsatellite
The Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) has awarded a contract to Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) to build the NorSat-4 maritime tracking microsatellite. This is the eighth satellite developed by SFL for Norway, including the NorSat-3 launched in April 2021 and the NorSat Technology Demonstrator (NorSat-TD) that is now under construction.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The satellite will be built on SFL’s DEFIANT microsatellite platform and carry an Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship tracking receiver developed by Kongsberg Seatex.
The satellite will also have a miniature low-light imaging camera, which will be integrated by France’s Safran Reosc. The device will detect vessels larger than 30 meters in length in Arctic waters, which are shrouded by darkness much of the year, the company said.
SFL has been developing ship-tracking microspace missions for Norway since 2010. After the success of that first project, Norway commissioned it as an operational ship-tracking mission, the company said. The company, through 72 satellites, have integrated radio frequency (RF) geolocation.
Contact: Robert Zee, SFL, (416) 667-7400, info@utias-sfl.net, www.utias-sfl.net.
Other Location News:
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🤦♂️ Infrastructure Bill Neglects GPS Threats. “With $50 billion over the next decade allocated in the bill for cyber-attacks and climate change, it makes sense to designate $1 billion of this amount to the Transportation Department to reinforce GPS.”
🤞 Startups Map Out Strategies To Augment or Backup GPS. “GPS-level accuracy of 4.9 meters for a smartphone operating under clear skies won’t be good enough.”
😬 COVID Disruptions Add $13.5 Million to the Cost of GPS Ground Control System. “Raytheon’s contract for the Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System, known as OCX, is increasing by $13.5 million due to pandemic-related costs.”
😧 Automotive Lidar Technologies Battle It Out. “The OEMs we’re talking to want lidar units that are sub $500,” said Pravin Venkatesan, senior director of ASIC design at Velodyne.
🤦♂️ The Cost of Velodyne’s Internal Drama Is Starting To Add Up. “Velodyne’s CEO Anand Gopalan resigned, taking $8 million in equity compensation with him, according to the company’s second-quarter report.”
🦽 John Deere To Incorporate Autonomous Technology With Bear Flag Robotics. “Bear Flag, a startup originally part of Deere’s Startup Collaborator program, will help Deere move into the self-driving technology market. The $250 million deal will deliver customized technology to help farmers create more profitable operations.”
🚗 Self-Driving Cars Would Be Nowhere Without HD Maps. “Mapping is having a moment. Digital maps are getting more sophisticated, with breakthroughs enabling real-time navigation details for pedestrians, 3D geolocation for drones and augmented reality for gaming.”
✈ Autonomous Cargo Drone Startup Elroy Air Lands $40m Series A. “Through a combination of GPS and sensing technology, the drone can pick up and drop off cargo automatically.”
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Send your news to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com.
GM’s Marry Barra to Deliver CES 2022 Keynote
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) said that General Motors [GM] chair and CEO Mary Barra will deliver the opening keynote at CES 2022 (Jan. 5-8, 2022 in Las Vegas). Barra is expected to speak about the company’s vision for electric vehicle’s mass adoption. CES will also have a space technology track for the first time.
The automotive sector is tracking for record growth at CES 2022, the association said, with more than 180 companies committed to the show, including GM, Daimler AG, Fisker, Turing Auto and Waymo.
Contact: Jeanne Abella, CTA, (757) 338-1811, jabella@cta.tech, www.ces.tech.
JAVAD’s August 26 workshop focuses on the company’s Delta-3S receiver, which combines Bluetooth and WiFi. For U.S. registration, click here; for European registration, click here. Click here to see details about the Delta-3S receiver.
Company Adds BLE to LBS Product
AiRISTA Flow said it added Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1 to its portfolio of location-based services. BLE 5.1 increases location accuracy to within 10s of centimeters, the company said. Sub-meter accuracy can tell if the right equipment is being used in a specific spot or distinguish between various bins within a room, the company said.
The company recently rolled out its sofia resource location tracking platform for healthcare delivery markets. The unit monitors movement of patients, staff and equipment, the company said.
Contact: AiRISTA Flow, salesinfo@airista.com, www.airistaflow.com.
Royal Institute of Navigation Offers Proximity Sensing Panel
The Royal Institute of Navigation is offering an expert panel on COVID-10 app proximity sensing on August 18 at 5 pm, BST.
To sign up, click here.
Contact: Louisa Chanter, RIN, 0203 154 2122, events@rin.org.uk.
People
TomTom’s [TOM2] Harold Goddijn, co-founder and CEO of the location technology giant, received the Automotive Hall of Fame’s first-ever Mobility Innovator Award. Goddijn was presented with the award in honor of his contribution to mobility at the 2020/21 Induction & Awards Ceremony. Goddijn helped to develop the company’s original portable navigation device.
The company also nominated Karien van Gennip, CEO of Coöperatie VGZ, for its supervisory board for a four-year term.
Contact: TomTom, www.tomtom.com.
Trimble Names Fandozzi to Board
Trimble [TRMB] appointed Ann Fandozzi to its board of directors, effective Aug. 16. Fandozzi is CEO of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. Before joining Ritchie, Fandozzi was CEO at vRide, an enterprise ride sharing business.
Contact: Lea Ann McNabb, Trimble, (408) 481-7808, leaann_mcnabb@trimble.com, www.trimble.com.
