Applied Intuition

Last updated
Applied Intuition
Company type Private
Industry Computer Software
Founded2017;7 years ago (2017)
Founders
Headquarters Mountain View, California, U.S.
Number of employees
201-500 (2024) [1]
Website www.appliedintuition.com

Applied Intuition is an American software company specializing in products for creating autonomous vehicles (AVs) [2] and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). [3] Founded in 2017 and based in Mountain View, California, Applied Intuition develops tools for the development, testing, and deployment of AV and ADAS technologies in various industries, including automotive, trucking, [3] defense, [4] agriculture, [5] construction, [6] and mining. [2] The company leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide automakers and other entities with solutions to simulate driving scenarios in the development of autonomous systems. [3] [7]

Contents

Applied Intuition products are used by 18 of the leading 20 global automakers. In addition to automotive manufacturers, Applied Intuition has worked with companies developing self-driving trucks, self-driving taxis, and robots for use in warehouses. [8]

In 2024 Applied Intuition completed a $250 million Series E funding round and a subsequent $300 million secondary offering, and achieved a valuation of $6 billion. [2] [9] Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity Investments, Kleiner Perkins, Microsoft's venture capital arm M12, and Porsche Investments Management. [4] [9] [10] With the investment by Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen joined the Applied Intuition board. [11]

History

Applied Intuition was co-founded by Qasar Younis, a former chief operating officer at Y Combinator [12] and group product manager at Google, and Peter Ludwig, a former Google product manager and software engineer. [5] [13]

The company's first product was a motion simulator to enable AV developers to simulate, instead of road-test, certain problems that arose during the AV development process. It later created software tools intended to improve the process of developing autonomous vehicles. [5] The company's primary offerings include a suite of simulation and testing software that enables vehicle manufacturers to create and refine AV systems by analyzing capabilities such as perception systems, vehicle dynamics, and overall software integration. [14] This development environment enables manufacturers to simulate driving scenarios to assess safety and functionality before deploying vehicles on actual roads. [13]

In June 2024, Applied Intuition announced an off-road autonomy stack, a software set designed to enable autonomous systems to navigate complex, unstructured terrains. This advanced technology integrates various sensors and algorithms to support off-road operations in industries such as mining, agriculture, and defense. [3]

Applied Intuition has partnered with leading automotive manufacturers, including Porsche and Audi, to develop next-generation ADAS offerings. Porsche announced in March 2024 it is partnering with Applied Intuition to jointly develop different fields of automotive software. In April 2024 Applied Intuition and Audi began partnering to develop automated driving systems that enhance vehicle autonomy and safety. [15] In August 2024 Applied Intuition entered into partnership with truck manufacturer Isuzu Motors to jointly develop self-driving trucks, solidifying Isuzu's plans to jointly develop self-driving trucks in support of Isuzu's plans for trucks and buses with Level 4 automation, the capability to handle most driving situations without human intervention. [16]

Acquisitions

In 2022 Applied Intuition acquired Mechanical Simulation Corp., a company known for its CarSim software, which is used by major automakers for simulating real-world vehicle dynamics. Mechanical Simulation also made products that support simulation for trucks, motorcycles, and powertrains. [17]

In 2023, the company acquired SceneBox, a machine learning (ML) data management and operations platform developed by Caliber Data Labs, aimed at enhancing the training of ML models through a data-centric approach. [18]

Also in 2023, Applied Intuition acquired autonomous trucking company Embark Trucks, a company specializing in autonomous trucking technology, for approximately $71 million. [19]

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References

  1. ↑ "Applied Intuition valued at $6 billion in new funding round". Automotive News. March 12, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Vehicle software maker Applied Intuition raises $250 mln from Porsche, others". Reuters. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Applied Intuition debuts AI software helping autonomous systems navigate across all terrains". VentureBeat. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  4. 1 2 "Applied Intuition lands $6B valuation for AI-powered autonomous vehicle software". TechCrunch. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  5. 1 2 3 "Applied Intuition: Powering Autonomy". Harvard Business School. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  6. ↑ "Applied Intuition valued at $6 billion in new funding round". Automotive News. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  7. ↑ "Applied Intuition Raises $175 Million for Automotive Software Tools". Bloomberg. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  8. ↑ "Applied Intuition Reaches $1.25 Billion Valuation In New Funding For Its Autonomous Vehicle Testing Software". Forbes. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. 1 2 "Startup Applied Intuition Closes on $300 Million Secondary Deal". Bloomberg. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  10. ↑ "Applied Intuition, Whose Software Tests Self-Driving Cars, Grabs $40 Million". Wall Street Journal. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  11. ↑ "How Self-Driving Cars Can Get Past the Learning Permit Stage, Without Any Risk". Bloomberg. 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  12. ↑ "Inside Silicon Valley's most grueling ritual: Raising cash". Washington Post. 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  13. 1 2 "Applied Intuition raises $40 million for autonomous vehicle simulation tools". VentureBeat. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  14. ↑ "Applied Intuition closes $300M secondary four months after raising $250M". TechCrunch. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  15. ↑ "Audi follows Porsche to Applied Intuition". Automobilewoche (in German). 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  16. ↑ "Isuzu to develop self-driving trucks with U.S. startup". Nikkei Asia. 2024-08-27. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  17. ↑ "Software tools provider Applied Intuition buys company behind CarSim". Automotive News. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  18. ↑ "Applied Intuition acquires SceneBox platform to strengthen machine learning data operations". ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  19. ↑ "Applied Intuition to buy autonomous trucking SPAC Embark for $71M". TechCrunch. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
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