Furonteer, a specialized company in the manufacturing of sensing cameras for autonomous vehicles, has decided to make a strategic investment in SolidVue, the only domestic LiDAR sensor-focused firm.
On the 31st, Furonteer announced its investment of 500 million KRW in the newly issued Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shares (RCPS) of SolidVue, the sole LiDAR sensor-specialized company in the country.
With this investment decision, Furonteer anticipates synergies in the autonomous vehicle LiDAR processing and equipment technology cooperation, as well as the commercialization of core components for robotics in the parts business unit.
SolidVue, founded in November 2020, is the only company in South Korea designing LiDAR sensors using System on Chip (SoC) technology, measuring the shapes and distances of surrounding objects via reflected laser. The company was established with the core team consisting of researchers from Semiconductor Systems Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (Professors Jaehyuk Choi and Jung-hoon Chun) who led research on TOF image sensors and CMOS LiDAR sensors, along with researchers from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering department at UNIST (Professor Seong-jin Kim).
One of its strengths lies in its ability to compete by reducing volume and unit cost compared to traditional mechanical LiDAR sensors. Having received recognition for its technological capabilities at a global level through awards like ISSCC, it holds numerous differentiated technologies and IPs compared to international competitors, indicating promising growth prospects.
Currently, leveraging its accumulated technological expertise, SolidVue is developing long-range LiDAR sensor ICs for vehicles in collaboration with leading domestic conglomerates and aims for engineering samples (E/S) supply in the fourth quarter of this year and mass production by the second half of next year. Additionally, it is preparing for the release of LiDAR sensor ICs for robots, control systems, and industrial use in the mid to long range through collaboration with domestic LiDAR module companies next year. SolidVue plans to validate its market position through the release of mass-produced products to meet the increasing demand and aims for a potential IPO in 2025.
A representative from Furonteer conveyed, "Through this strategic investment, we anticipate that the future collaboration between our engineers will lead the way in developing the future technology of autonomous driving." They further stated, "By securing new growth momentum within the robot and autonomous vehicle market, we aim for sustained company growth."
View original article : 퓨런티어, LiDAR 센서 팹리스 ‘솔리드뷰’에 전략적 투자…"미래기술 선도" - 아시아경제 (asiae.co.kr)