Insider Brief
- DeepRoute.ai raised $100 million in Series C1 funding from a major Chinese automotive OEM to enhance R&D for its end-to-end model, DeepRoute IO, expand collaborations with global automakers, and explore future opportunities in the Robotaxi business.
- Since August, DeepRoute IO has been integrated into 20,000 vehicles, with plans to introduce over 10 new models with OEM partners and a next-generation visual-language-action model in the coming year.
- DeepRoute.ai’s map-free technology enables vehicles to navigate without high-definition maps, supporting the company’s vision for scalable, autonomous driving solutions and paving the way for a cost-effective, unsupervised Robotaxi service globally.
PRESS RELEASE — DeepRoute.ai, the leading artificial intelligence company specializing in developing smart driving solutions, announced a strategic Series C1 funding round, raising US$100 million from prestigious Chinese automotive OEM. The funding will enhance research and development in frontier end-to-end model DeepRoute IO, help scale global automakers’ collaboration and explore future Robotaxi business, and support the recruitment of more AI-native talents.
Since August, approximately 20,000 vehicles integrated with DeepRoute IO have been delivered to customers. The company plans to release more than 10 additional series models in collaboration with selective OEM clients next year and develop the next generation DeepRoute IO, utilizing visual-language-action model, set to launch next year. DeepRoute.ai’s extensive experience in mass-production within domestic market will enhance its collaboration with global automakers.
“The strategic investment from the automaker is a significant recognition for our technology maturity and mass production capabilities. We are eager to leverage this momentum to expand our reach in global markets.” Maxwell Zhou, CEO at DeepRoute.ai says “I firmly believe autonomous driving is the most promising pathway to achieving physical AI and we will be a major player in the next AI era. We look forward to cooperating with more partners on this journey.”
As current human-supervised smart driving cars continue to gather data, DeepRoute IO will continue to iterate towards achieving full autonomy capability without human oversight. This will enable the company to explore unsupervised Robotaxis business in the future through partnerships with mobility platforms. Unlike traditional Robotaxis, which rely on pre-mapped data and restricted to specific areas, DeepRoute.ai’s Robotaxi will be more scalable and more cost-effective to deploy thanks to its end-to-end technology. This will allow people in various countries to enjoy the convenience of the latest smart driving technology.
Founded in 2019, DeepRoute.ai has made major progress with a clear technological vision and a proven record. The company initiated research and development of mapfree technology in 2020, which debuted in 2023 as the first of its kind in China, enabling vehicles to navigate from address to address on urban and highway without high-definition maps. DeepRoute.ai began road testing its end-to-end model last August and officially deployed it in mass-produced cars this year. With its deep technological insight, engineering expertise, and strong team cohesion, DeepRoute.ai is well-positioned to drive substantial advancements in the ongoing AI revolution.
About DeepRoute.ai
DeepRoute.ai is an artificial intelligence company dedicated to the research, development and application of smart driving solutions. Being the first to develop production-ready smart driving solutions and a pioneer in deploying end-to-end architecture, DeepRotue.ai aims to create artificial general intelligence in robotics through mass-produced passenger vehicles.
DeepRoute.ai is headquartered in Shenzhen, with offices in Beijing and Fremont, California. For more information, visit deeproute.ai, follow DeepRoute.ai on LinkedIn, and X, and subscribe to DeepRoute.ai on YouTube.
Media Contacts:
Corine Chen
PR Manager of DeepRoute.ai
CorineChen@deeproute.ai
