Uhnder completes Series C financing to accelerate the transition from analog to digital radar

Uhnder, which is disrupting the mobility market with digital sensing, announced that it had completed a $45 million Series C financing round in November 2020. With the support of new and existing investors, this round of financing was led by Uhnder's newest customer and partner Sensata Technologies. Sensata intends to use Uhnder's digital imaging radar chips in markets where it is a key supplier, including mining, agriculture, aviation, and construction. Compared with current analog radar technology, the digital 4D software-defined imaging radar technology provided by Uhnder provides more powerful performance. Especially for the autonomous vehicle industry, this development marks a major breakthrough that can enhance resolution and detection capabilities, and improve the safety of people, roads and cities.

Uhnder最新轮融资为先前的几轮添加柴火，包括2017年由Sands Capital Ventures领投的A轮融资，以及2019年由Khosla Ventures领投的B轮融资。Uhnder总共募得超过1亿4500万美元的融资，其来自业界领先的创投公司、关键客户、终端用户和半导体战略合作伙伴，包括Magna、Khosla Ventures、Sands Capital Ventures、ACME Capital、洛克马丁、上汽集团，以及新加入的投资者益登科技、TDK Ventures和Qualcomm Ventures。这些支持有助于强化Uhnder在下一代汽车雷达系统落实差异化的战略地位，加速公司为客户提供性能显著提升的感测系统解决方案。

“We are pleased to be working with Uhnder as both a customer and a strategic investor,” said Steven Beringhause, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Sensata Technologies. “Our sensing systems are being deployed in a variety of applications around the world. It is exciting to support the technology evolution to higher performance digital radars, which will enable our customers to provide better safety for their end applications.”

Uhnder's pioneering, fully digital 4D software-defined imaging radar technology uses digital code modulation (DCM) to replace traditional analog frequency modulation. This groundbreaking architecture achieves unparalleled angular resolution and anti-interference. Uhnder can also achieve high contrast resolution (HCR) using DCM, resolving side-by-side objects that traditional radar sensors could not detect in the past. Customers who need the best radar for autonomous driving systems are driving demand for Uhnder chips and system solutions.

“We are pleased to see the strong investor and market response to our digital radar products, which will help customers take mobility to the next level,” said Manju Hegde, CEO of Uhnder. “With HCR, a cyclist, child or pedestrian obscured by a truck or SUV can be detected early so that the vehicle can evade the vehicle.”

“Uhnder’s 4D sensing technology can quickly detect, track and generate digital images of obstacles with unprecedented accuracy,” said Sven Strohband, Executive Director of Khosla Ventures, which led the Series B round. “Our investment in Uhnder will make autonomous transportation more accessible to the market.”

Ian Ratcliffe, managing partner of Sands Capital Ventures, which led the Series A round, said: "The era of automation for everything, not just vehicles, has arrived. Uhnder's groundbreaking digital software-defined radar enables customers to quickly customize the perception stack based on the unique capabilities of their applications, which is expected to inspire a series of innovations."

Uhnder's flagship product, VoxelTM, is expected to be produced and certified for automotive use in 2021.