Robert Bosch Venture Capital invests in AIRY3D
Innovative leader in 3D computer vision technology
- Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH co-invests in 3.5 million US dollar Series Seed funding round
- Passive, single sensor solution with off-the-shelf CMOS camera sensors
Stuttgart, Germany – Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC), the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, has completed an investment in AIRY3D. The Canadian start-up company is based in Montreal. It is a leader in single sensor 3D imaging, which will help enhance the capabilities of multiple billion dollar markets from the automotive industry to both consumer and industrial applications of AR/VR. This investment adds another company to the portfolio of Robert Bosch Venture Capital in the field of machine vision sensors. “Airy3D’s novel technology is unrivalled by any other player in the 3D sensor space,” says Jeff Yu, Investment Principal at RBVC. “We believe in the capabilities of this technology to disrupt various billion dollar markets. We are pleased to have Airy3D as a strategic extension of our portfolio due to its immense potential in many different markets, such as Augmented and Virtual Reality, automotive, drones, and robotics.”
Strong Syndicate of Seed Investors
Robert Bosch Venture Capital joined the round which was co-led by Youku Global Media Fund I and R7 Partners. Other investors include the WI Harper Group, Nautilus Venture Partners and several angel investors that are affiliates of TandemLaunch, AIRY3D’s Montreal-based incubator.
Single Sensor Solution Technology
AIRY3D’s core technology differentiation is their patented Transmissive Diffraction Mask, or “TDM” technology, which breaks light into its fundamental elements. This year, AIRY3D’s TDM technology will be combined with state-of-the-art, off-the-shelf CMOS camera sensors on wafer-scale production equipment to create the world’s first commercial grade 3D sensors utilizing this platform. The passive, single sensor platform preserves 2D quality while remaining unrivalled in cost, size, and computational efficiency.
About Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH
Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 390,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2016). The company generated sales of 73.1 billion euros in 2016. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected manufacturing. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, soft-ware, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-do-main solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 120 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 59,000 associates in research and development.
About AIRY3D
Founded in 2015 and based in Montreal, Canada, AIRY3D has developed the world’s first passive single sensor solution for 3D computer vision based on off-the-shelf components that are transformed by technology first invented at Cornell University. Airy3D is a spinout of TandemLaunch, a Montreal-based incubator.
For additional information
Please contact info@airy3d.com