Over the past couple years, both Nokia Growth Partners and Intel Capital announced separate $100M Connected Car Funds. Is the promise of universally connected and intelligent vehicles closer to becoming a reality?
According to the data, investments to companies in and around the connected car space are indeed gaining traction among both venture capital and corporate investors. Firms tracked in the connected car market within the CB Insights database include a range of technologies, covering:
General Motors has decided not to move forward with its connected car tech MyLink, a platform allowing developers to build Internet-connected apps for the company’s line of vehicles. Instead, the automaker will integrate upcoming technology from the likes of Apple and Google, according to GigaOm.
Drivers, get ready to meet the Smart Headlight version 2.0.
Funded by Intel and Ford, among others, researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s prestigious Robotics Institute claim they have designed a radical new LED car headlight that will transform the driving habits of those using it. Researchers say the value proposition is this: improved driver vision in snow, rain, and dark.
“Nowadays, you have computations for every part of your car, but headlights have been left out of this,” said team researcher Srinivasa Narasimhan. “You can do a lot of tasks with this headlight, see the lanes clearly, see through bad weather, anti-glare capabilities. All of these things we have done with a single design.”
If you own a smartphone, you’ve no doubt been tempted to take a look at a map or see what message just popped up on the screen while you’re behind the wheel of a car.
A startup called Navdy is building a device that will let you see such information without looking away from the road. It sits on your dashboard and can project your current speed, turn-by-turn directions, and smartphone notifications that appear to float several feet in front of you in full color.
As smartphones become more compelling, and as in-car entertainment systems cars become more distracting, new vehicle interfaces could help address driver distraction. But research has shown that even heads-up displays and voice interfaces can be distracting if they’re not carefully designed.
Over the past couple years, both Nokia Growth Partners and Intel Capital announced separate $100M Connected Car Funds. Is the promise of universally connected and intelligent vehicles closer to becoming a reality?
According to the data, investments to companies in and around the connected car space are indeed gaining traction among both venture capital and corporate investors. Firms tracked in the connected car market within the CB Insights database include a range of technologies, covering:
Putting smartphone intelligence in the car is nothing new, but integrating smartphones with on-board car computers is a relatively fresh trick.
Zubie makes a small device that plugs in underneath the dash and reports car health stats to a smartphone in the car. It also offers social features for detecting loved ones who might also be on the road.
The company announced today that it has raised a new $8 million funding round, led by Nokia Venture Partners and Magna International. Existing Zubie investors Castrol innoVentures, Comporium, and OpenAir Equity Partners also participated in the round.
Automatic, the smart driving assistant that combines a small hardware device that plugs in your car and a mobile app that provides drivers with data about their vehicle and their driving habits, is now available on Android. Previously an iOS-only application, this release also delivers a couple of new features as well, including an Android-exclusive “do not disturb” mode and a Crash Alert functionality.
Currently seeking funding through Kickstarter, OBDLink MX WiFi is a small device that enables drivers to use a variety of maintenance tools and dashboard displays through their smartphone.
