DeepRoute.ai. DeepRoute.ai is a Chinese robotaxi startup based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

DeepRoute.ai has partnered with Caocao Mobility, Dongfeng Motors, and Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle to test self-driving vehicles. The company began self-driving robotaxi service in Wuhan in April 2021, and the company publicly launched robotaxi service in Shenzhen in July 2021.

In addition to robotaxi technology (DeepRoute-INJOY), DeepRoute.ai has also developed a self-driving solution for medium-duty trucks (DeepRoute-LINK).

Its L4 Full Stack Self-Driving System, DeepRoute-Sense, was named a CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree in the category of Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation. It includes a lightweight set-top box and sensor-fusion calibration service, consisting of GNSS, eight vehicle cameras, three lidars and a series of other sensors to help correspondence and data synchronization between the controllers. In December 2021, DeepRoute.ai announced DeepRoute-Driver 2.0, a production-ready Level 4 system comprising five solid-state lidar sensors, eight cameras, a proprietary computing system and an optional millimeter-wave radar. 

DeepRoute.ai secured $50 million in a Series Pre-A led by Fosun RZ Capital, the venture capital arm of Chinese conglomerate Fosun International in September 2019. The company also raised a Series B funding round of $300 million in September 2021, which included Alibaba, Jeneration Capital, Yunqi Partners and Geely as investors. DeepRoute.ai’s CEO is Maxwell Zhou, who led autonomous driving projects at Baidu, Texas Instruments and DJI.

History

DeepRoute.ai was founded in Shenzhen in February 2019 by Maxwell Zhou who has a Doctorate degree in Artificial Intelligence.

In August of 2020, DeepRoute.ai partnered with CaoCao Mobility to start Robotaxi service in Hangzhou. A few months later, in October, the company joined a $90M Autonomous Driving Pilot Program led by Dongfeng Motor, aiming to bring more than 200 Robotaxis to Wuhan by the end of 2022. As its primary partner, DeepRoute.ai is working with Dongfeng Motor to build the largest Robotaxi fleet in Wuhan’s Central Business District and
development area, making it the most extensive fleet in China.

By January 2021, DeepRoute.ai had accumulated over one million kilometers of road testing. The company began self-driving robotaxi service in Wuhan in April 2021, and the company publicly launched robotaxi service in Shenzhen in July 2021.

In September 2021, DeepRoute.ai announced a $300 million Series B funding round led by Alibaba Group.

In December 2021, DeepRoute.ai announced DeepRoute-Driver 2.0, a production-ready Level 4 system comprising five solid-state lidar sensors, eight cameras, a proprietary computing system and an optional millimeter-wave radar.

In March 2023, DeepRoute.ai announced its Driver 3.0 solution, the latest advance to achieving full autonomous driving. DeepRoute.ai is among the first to successfully complete HD map-free self-driving public road tests thus breaking limitations created by geo-fencing.

Partnerships
In June 2022, DeepRoute.ai partnered with Deppon Logistics Co., Ltd. to provide autonomous driving medium-duty trucks for logistics transfer. This marked the first use of self-driving mid-size trucks in commercial service in China.

In August 2020, DeepRoute.ai announced its partnership with Cao Cao Mobility, a Geely-backed ride-hailing company, to test Robotaxis in Hangzhou for daily operations, planning to provide Robotaxis during the 2022 Asian Games.

References 

Self-driving car companies
Automotive technologies
Robotics