Hyundai Mobis (KRX:012330), the Seoul, South Korea-based company devoted to securing future car technologies by developing proprietary technologies and investing directly in global leaders, is investing a total of $20m in two US tech funds in Silicon Valley.
ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures will help the company secure future mobility technologies for its strategies represented by autonomous driving, electrification and connectivity.
Until now, Hyundai Mobis has been investing KRW 1 trillion each year as R&D expenditures, and concentrating on securing proprietary technologies with the Technical Center of Korea and four global R&D centers playing the central role. The company developed the radar sensor, which used to depend entirely on imports, with its own technology in 2018, and independently secured the camera systems for commercial vehicles and the in-cabin sensing technology. Additionally, Hyundai Mobis has been engaging in direct investments in leading companies at home and abroad. Back in 2018, the company invested in StradVision (Korea), a deep-learning-based camera sensor maker. Last year, it invested $50 million in Velodyne, a global leader in lidar technology, and directly invested in the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv.
Following its development of independent technologies and investments in leading companies, Hyundai Mobis invested in global startups, diversifying its investment strategies. The company is planning to foster global startups, which have strengths in future mobility technologies and leverage various collaboration opportunities as part of its mid-to-long-term R&D strategies.
Most of the startups, discovered by ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures in which Hyundai Mobis invested, are North American startups specializing in next-generation sensors, biometrics and robotics, etc.
This year, the company is planning to increase the number of successful case studies in investment and collaboration by discovering promising startups in other regions of the world, including Europe. Hyundai Mobis is the 7th largest leading automotive supplier.
Founded in 1977, Hyundai Mobis is to become a lifelong technology partner for vehicles and people being excellent in sensors, sensor fusion in controllers and software design capabilities in safety control. As Hyundai Mobis internalized all core auto component technologies, it has various product groups in ADAS based on its state-of-the-art technologies which combined sensors and these technologies. Its products also include core modules (chassis, cockpit and front-end), brakes, suspension, steering, airbags, lights and automotive electronics.
Mobis currently has more than 30,000 employees and has been manufacturing in more than 30 regions in 10 countries including South Korea, China, Germany, India and the United States. In addition to its R&D headquarters in South Korea, Mobis has 4 technology centers in Germany, China, India and the United States.
FinSMEs
02/07/2020