Arbe Raises $32M To Help Tesla Competitors With Radar For Self-Driving Cars

Tesla vehicles aren't considered fully autonomous, and by SAE standards -- it's only at level 2. Arbe may be able to change that with its high-definition radar chipset.

The Tel-Aviv based startup has developed a chipset that it said would up the game for ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems) and autonomous vehicles. With the $32 million it raised in a Series B funding that they announced via press release on Monday, the company would be able to hire more staff and kickstart production for its global Tier-1 customers.

The investors in the round of financing include CVC investors Catalyst CEL, BAIC Capital, AI Alliance (Hyundai, Hanwha, SKT), and MissionBlue Capital. Earlier investors like Canaan Partners Israel, iAngels, 360 Capital Partners, O.G. Tech Ventures, and OurCrowd also participated.

The chipset solution is a technological breakthrough as its the first one in the market to provide high-resolution imagery that would enable vehicles to detect any objects in a wide field of view and in virtually all environmental conditions.

"With the funds raised, Arbe will continue to deploy to the market a real breakthrough in radar technology that empowers Tier 1 automakers and OEMs to finally replace their legacy chipsets with one that truly meets the safety requirements of NCAP and ADAS for years ahead," CEO Kobi Marenko said in a statement.

The radar systems of the company address the critical issues present in most chipsets. Arbe's technology eliminates false alarms that would otherwise render not the safest autonomous driving experience. It can also process massive amounts of information produced by high-quality 4D imagery and in real-time.

This is a clear advancement as Tesla vehicles still require plenty of human attention as it can only control steering, acceleration, and deceleration. But since Tesla is developing a chip of their own, Arbe's technology may very well be in the hands of the American car manufacturer's competitors.

"In fact, Arbe provides an affordable sensor for mass market implementation that enables Level 3 autonomy without requiring LiDAR. Our technology is the essential component in achieving a fully autonomous vehicle that drives in every environment and weather condition," said Marenko.

A level 3 automation would mean that a vehicle can make decisions on its own based on what it sees in the environment.