Scantinel Photonics Secures €10M in Series A Funding
Scantinel Photonics, the German-based LiDAR technology company, has secured €10M in its extended Series A round of funding. The investment came from Netherlands-based PhotonDelta and current investors Scania Growth Capital and ZEISS Ventures.
The company is a growing presence in the industry as they are developing next-gen Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. Focused on enhancing human perception with their optimally integrated LiDAR systems, the company is working to make transportation safe for everyone.
Their approach of using FMCW LiDAR sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance, object detection and tracking, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is expected to be a game changer for autonomous driving.
Their Optical Enhanced Array (OEA) system delivers scanning results with an effective detection range of more than 300 meters. Scantinel says, “Our unique LiDAR on Chip solution at 1550nm can be integrated anywhere. With a detection range over 300 meters, it is designed for mass production and will be available to the industry at a very competitive price.”
Most attempts at autonomous driving technologies have been limited in bad weather. Fog, sleet, rain, and snow can all reduce the LiDAR’s object detection capabilities. But Scantinel’s has proven effective in all weather types. The proprietary technology ensures coherent ranging is not interfered with like other LiDAR systems or external light sources, like sunlight. In addition, direct velocity information is acquired instantly for every single measured pixel.
The company will use the funds to roll out its frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR devices to customers. According to the company, LiDAR is more accurate and precise than other technologies like RADAR and RGB cameras in mapping and object detection. It also has greater resistance to interference. LiDAR devices, however, have not yet proven a realistic replacement due to their size, cost, or production challenges.
By using photonic chips, which use light instead of electrons to transfer information in microchips, Scantinel’s FMCW LiDAR solution has the power, affordability and mass production scalability to enable LiDAR to have broad application across industry and mobility.
With higher resolution and solid-state scanning, the technology offers a detection range that is more than 300m. Scantinel has signed a number of partnerships with major global automotive, mobility and industrial companies.
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