Superpedestrian Raises $125M to Scale AI-Based Safety Software for e-Scooters
February 1, 2022
Superpedestrian, which develops transportation robotics through electronic scooters, has announced raising $125 million in debt and equity capital. The new funding will be used to expand its LINK shared e-scooter service, boost research and development, and deploy scooters with its new Pedestrian Defense safety system in 25 cities across the U.S. and Europe during 2022.
The company’s AI-based software fuses data from multiple vehicle sensors, and integrates them with the scooter’s on-board Vehicle Intelligence to take real-time action on the scooter. The Pedestrian Defense software includes features such as:
- The ability to more precisely detect vehicle position, even in urban canyons where GPS is often inaccurate;
- Detection of a wider array of unsafe riding behavior, including sidewalk riding, stunt riding, aggressive swerving and “salmoning” against traffic;
- Automatic intervention to slow or stop a scooter in real time when unsafe behavior is detected.
The company said that following successful field tests of Pedestrian Defense, the system will now be integrated into its LINK e-scooter fleet, which has launched in 57 cities and logged tens of millions of miles.
“Over the past nine years, we have developed a unique software platform that addresses the core challenges of electric vehicle fleets,” said Assaf Biderman, founder and CEO of Superpedestrian. “From predictive-maintenance and repair automation, to fine-grain locationing and curb management, our platform is rich with advanced capabilities that enable safer and more reliable transportation solutions. With this latest funding round, we are boosting our investment in R&D and scaling up our deployments in micromobility and beyond.”
The latest investment comes from Jefferies, Antara Capital, the Sony Innovation Fund by IGV and FM Capital, alongside existing investors Spark Capital, General Catalyst and Citi via the Citi Impact Fund.
The company was spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2013 with the mission to help develop the world’s smartest and safest light electric vehicle fleets. In 2020, the company debuted LINK, with its intelligence platform that aims to prevent costly mechanical and electrical hazards seen in other e-scooter operators. The company said it holds more than 40 patents in autonomous failure protection for vehicles, automated maintenance software, fleet optimization and vehicle context awareness.
For more information about the company and its technology, visit the Superpedestrian website here.
Related video:
{youtube}MwrbN57veL0{/youtube}
