Basemark, a provider of automotive augmented reality (AR) software, has secured €22m (US$23.7m) in series B funding, which includes equity, grants and loans. The funding round was led by ETF Partners and backed by Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi), Constructor Capital, Business Finland, the European Innovation Council and private investors, and will be used to grow Basemark’s business in Europe and the USA and support its expansion into Japan, China and South Korea.
The company’s advanced AI-based computer vision system– Rocksolid AR– is designed to facilitate the rapid development of automotive AR experiences. Basemark’s focus is on enabling original equipment manufacturers to develop AR applications for their vehicles, enhancing safety and the driving experience.
Tero Sarkkinen, founder and CEO of Basemark, said, “OEMs want to become software developers themselves because of the software-defined car megatrend. AR development is very slow, expensive and tedious to learn, requiring expertise in AI, computer vision, graphics and embedded systems. Traditional HMI development tools do not have computer vision capabilities, so there was a growing need for an AR development tool in the automotive industry.
“That’s why we developed Rocksolid AR, the world’s first series production-grade automotive AR development tool set capable of addressing the unique challenges of AR in the automotive industry.”
Rocksolid AR is designed for OEMs to create bespoke AR applications for heads-up displays (HUDs) and in-vehicle screens, with real-time contextual guidance and alerts projected onto the windshield.
The solution combines an AR development studio with an interconnected AR software development kit (SDK), which Basemark says enables efficient development and localization of AR content tailored to each OEM’s brand.
Addressing common challenges in AR content anchoring and latency, Rocksolid AR has been designed to to ensure content is correctly positioned in the driver’s field of view to minimalize motion sickness, with the software’s algorithms prioritizing safety-critical information.
Remy de Tonnac, senior partner at ETF Partners, said, “In the future, as autonomous cars become the norm, we expect a significant decrease in the total number of vehicles on the road, with the majority being electric.
“Augmented reality is key to this transformation, serving as an integral component of the software-defined vehicle megatrend that is guiding the automotive industry toward full autonomy. Basemark is at the forefront of the AR/VR HUD technology revolution and they are perfectly positioned to help OEMs craft safer, more sustainable, and more enjoyable driving experiences for all.”
Basemark is exhibiting and demoing Rocksolid AR at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, on April 9–11.
