SiLC Technologies
Assembly Line
SiLC Technologies Receives Investment from Honda to Advance AI Vision Capabilities
SiLC Technologies, Inc. (SiLC), announced it has received an investment from Honda to develop next-generation FMCW LiDAR solutions for all types of mobility. SiLC is the leading developer of integrated, single-chip FMCW (Coherent) LiDAR solutions and focuses on enabling advanced AI-based machine vision. Honda invests in innovative startups through its global open innovation program, Honda Xcelerator Ventures. This program is led by Honda Innovations, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
SiLC is tackling several critical challenges in vehicle vision technology using high-performance FMCW LiDAR. Current radar and 2D/3D vision systems struggle with detecting dark objects, such as tires, at distances of a couple of hundred meters. They also have difficulty distinguishing between slow-moving and stationary vehicles for effective evasive actions. Most time-of-flight LiDARs suffer from interference caused by sunlight, retro reflectors, and other LiDAR systems. SiLC’s FMCW LiDAR overcomes these obstacles by detecting objects at distances of a kilometer or more with precise distance measurements and can measure the velocity of objects, allowing the system to predict their movements accurately.
SiLC Technologies Raises $12M in Seed Funding to Deliver Long-Range, Single-Chip LiDAR for Autonomous Vehicles, Machine Vision, and Augmented Reality
SiLC Technologies, Inc., (SiLC), the leading developer of integrated single-chip FMCW LiDAR solutions, announced that it closed $12 million in seed funding led by Dell Technologies Capital. Decent Capital, ITIC Ventures, and several prominent angel investors also participated in the funding round. SiLC will use the funding to scale its R&D and operations to develop its frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) silicon photonic 4D+ Vision Chip platform.
SiLC was founded in 2018 by silicon photonics Industry veterans. Founder and CEO Mehdi Asghari was part of the executive team that led Bookham to its IPO in 2000 and later joined the leadership team at Kotura, which was acquired by Mellanox in 2013. SiLC has developed a significant body of intellectual property, as well as a proprietary process for manufacturing high-performance optical components at large scale.