 | |
| Company type | Scale-up |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, automotive |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | UK, Europe, US, Asia |
Key people | Gavin Jackson (CEO) |
| Products | Self-driving cars, autonomy |
Number of employees | 200-300 (2023) |
| Website | oxa |
Oxa (formerly Oxbotica) is an autonomous vehicle software company, headquartered in Oxfordshire, England, and founded by Paul Newman and Ingmar Posner. [1]
In 2013, Newman and Posner led the RobotCar UK project as part of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science Mobile Robotics Group. [2] RobotCar became the first autonomous vehicle on UK roads. [3]
In 2014, the pair used the newly developed technology to found Oxbotica. [4]
Oxbotica has raised over $18 million to date and is backed by the IP Group, Parkwalk Advisors and AXA XL. [5] In 2018, Uber's former Head of Business EMEA Fraser Robinson was appointed to the board of directors. [6]
In May 2019, Ozgur Tohumcu replaced Dr Graeme Smith as Oxbotica's CEO. [7] Also in 2019, the company opened an office in Toronto, Canada. [8]
In January 2021, Oxbotica announced it had raised $47 million in a Series B round. [9]
In August 2021, the company achieved a safety landmark as the first company to have its autonomy safety case assessed by BSI (British Standards Institution) against the requirements of the UK Code of Practice 2019, PAS 1881:2020 and PAS 1883:2020, certifying the safety conformity of its autonomous vehicle trials and testing. [10] The assessment was completed as part of Project Endeavour, the UK's first multi-city demonstration of autonomous vehicle services and capability. [11]
In December 2021, Gavin Jackson was named CEO. [12]
In January 2023, the company raised $140 million in a Series C round. [13]
In May 2023, the company changed its name to Oxa. [14]
Oxbotica's full stack, end-to-end Universal Autonomy software is both vehicle and platform-agnostic, with no dependence on external infrastructure such as GPS. [15] It can be deployed in any environment and on any terrain. [16] In addition to underground uses, the technology is also useful in natural canyons and forests, where GPS signals are weak or non-existent, but also in "urban canyons" - cities with tall buildings that obstruct GPS signals for proper navigation. [17]
The LUTZ Pathfinder pod had its first public demonstration in February 2015 in Milton Keynes. [18] The Government-funded project was designed to ensure that autonomous vehicles could comply with the Highway Code. [19] The pod featured autonomous control software from Oxbotica, including 19 sensors, cameras, radar and Lidar. [20]
As part of the GATEway Project in 2017, Oxbotica trialled seven autonomous shuttle buses in Greenwich, navigating a two-mile riverside path near London's O2 Arena on a route also used by pedestrians and cyclists. [21] Oxbotica ran the UK's first trial of autonomous grocery deliveries with British online supermarket Ocado in London as the next evolution of the GATEway Project. [22]
In 2018, Oxbotica deployed its autonomous vehicle software at London's Gatwick Airport, which subsequently became the first airport in the world to trial an autonomous shuttle service. [23] The electric-powered autonomous vehicles transported staff via airside roads between the airport's North and South terminals. [24] An airside trial of Oxbotica's technology was then successfully completed at Heathrow Airport in partnership with IAG Cargo, the first airside trial of an autonomous vehicle at a UK airport. [25] The Oxbotica-designed CargoPod ran autonomously along a cargo route around the airside perimeter for three weeks. [26]
As part of the UK Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles-funded DRIVEN project, Oxbotica is developing and deploying a fleet of Ford Fusion autonomous vehicles running in both London and Oxford on public roads, and in conjunction with its consortium partners, running real-time insurance. [27] AXA XL is partnering with Oxbotica on the development of smart insurance products using Oxbotica's autonomy technology to improve road safety. [28]
In 2018, Oxbotica announced a partnership with London taxi firm Addison Lee to develop and deploy autonomous taxis in the city of London by 2021. [29] A 3D street mapping exercise is already being conducted in London's Canary Wharf. [30]
In 2019, Oxbotica deployed a fleet of their autonomous technology within Ford Mondeo cars on public roads in Stratford, London to test their use in city environments. [31] This £13.2m project is in collaboration with The DRIVEN Project to develop self-driving cars. [32]
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