UK AI chip startup Graphcore has announced a $200 million Series D round today that’s jointly led by an existing investor, European VC Atomico, along with new investor Sofina, an investment holding firm. Graphcore says the Series D values the company at $1.7M. We’ve confirmed the valuation is $1.5M before including the new capital raised. We’re also […]
View More AI chip startup Graphcore closes $200M Series D, adds BMW and Microsoft as strategic investorsCategory: BMW
AI chip startup Graphcore closes $200M Series D, adds BMW and Microsoft as strategic investors
UK AI chip startup Graphcore has announced a $200 million Series D round today that’s jointly led by an existing investor, European VC Atomico, along with new investor Sofina, an investment holding firm. Graphcore says the Series D values the company at $1.7M. We’ve confirmed the valuation is $1.5M before including the new capital raised. We’re also […]
View More AI chip startup Graphcore closes $200M Series D, adds BMW and Microsoft as strategic investorsBMW’s premium ride-hailing service is now live in China
BMW has joined a handful of automakers to compete with transportation upstart Didi Chuxing, which bought Uber’s Chinese business in 2016. Last Friday, the German luxury carmaker launched a premium ride-hailing service in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan Province with over 14 million people. The new offer is part of BMW’s ReachNow carsharing brand that kicked […]
View More BMW’s premium ride-hailing service is now live in ChinaThe 2019 BMW i3 now has 153 miles of range thanks to a bigger battery
The BMW i3 is getting an upgraded battery — plus a bunch of other improvements —that will give the 2019 model about 153 miles of range. That’s roughly a 30% improvement from the previous model. The boost in range is noteworthy, yet it still lags behind the Chevy Bolt and the Tesla Model S, Model X […]
View More The 2019 BMW i3 now has 153 miles of range thanks to a bigger batteryOur 3 favorite startups from Urban-X’s 4th demo day
Urban-X, the urban-tech startup accelerator backed by BMW MINI and early-stage urban-tech fund Urban.Us, hosted a demo day today for its fourth cohort of companies at its Brooklyn HQ. The seven presenting companies offered solutions to issues plaguing modern cities, including toll-road pricing, energy and construction management, and even the inefficiencies of modern cycling helmets. In […]
View More Our 3 favorite startups from Urban-X’s 4th demo dayDaimler names new CEO to lead push into electric, autonomous vehicles
Daimler said Wednesday that Dieter Zetsche is stepping down as CEO and will be replaced by a long-serving executive who has most recently been leading the automaker’s research and development efforts, including its push into electric vehicles. The company has proposed that Zetsche, who was CEO of Daimler for 12 years, become chairman of the […]
View More Daimler names new CEO to lead push into electric, autonomous vehiclesLunewave is pitching a new sensor offering better vision for autonomous vehicles
The investment arms of BMW and the Chinese search technology giant, Baidu, along with a large original equipment manufacturer for the auto industry and a slew of technology investors have all come together to back Lunewave, a startup developing new sensor technologies for autonomous vehicles. The $5 million seed round which the company just closed […]
View More Lunewave is pitching a new sensor offering better vision for autonomous vehiclesWhy BMW’s riderless bike is less badass than you might think
BMW has released a riderless bike that is operated by a remote robot. While the prototype is just being used for research purpose and will not produced for market, it still can brake all on its ownYet another example of something being both cool and …
View More Why BMW’s riderless bike is less badass than you might thinkBMW’s autonomous concept car of the future was cool, I guess
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As I approached San Francisco International Airport, my expectations for BMW’s new concept car were as big as the looming Boeing 777F Lufthansa cargo jet waiting for me.
I had surrendered my cellphone and everything in my purse but my drivers license to see BMW’s iNext vehicle. Its tour started in Munich a few days earlier; it came to the Bay Area after a stop at New York’s JFK airport, and was scheduled to continue on to Beijing. Talk about precious cargo.
After passing a final security check, I climbed up the rickety staircase with fellow media members and entered the cavernous aircraft. We had been told very little about what we were going to see, except it was not only the “car of the future” but the “idea of the future.” Read more…
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View More BMW’s autonomous concept car of the future was cool, I guessBMW’s self-driving motorcycle isn’t as scary as you might think
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A self-driving motorcycle sounds terrifying, but BMW’s autonomous bike isn’t supposed to ever drive on public roads — it’s only for safety research. So that’s a relief.
This week BMW Motorrad — the motorcycle division of the German car company — showed a prototype driverless bike on a test track accelerating, navigating curves, and braking all on its own. In Munich, safety researchers have been using the autonomous motorcycle to test out features for its real motorcycles to handle dangerous situations.
What the company learns from the robot-controlled motorcycle will go into its safety and driving systems for its human-driven bikes. This isn’t testing for full-fledged self-driving motorcycles. Instead, the tech developed through the prototype will help riders stay stable, avoid obstacles on the road, and manage other dangerous situations, like when they need to brake quickly. Read more…
More about Motorcycles, Safety, Autonomous Vehicles, Bmw, and Tech
View More BMW’s self-driving motorcycle isn’t as scary as you might thinkBMW makes sure we can’t escape voice assistants while driving
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Another “wake word” has entered the lexicon. Instead of “OK, Google” or “Hey, Alexa,” this time it’s “Hey, BMW.”
With BMW’s new virtual assistant, coming to the German car maker in 2019, voice commands are front and center in the car. It’s a new way to interact with your vehicle.
The assistant was revealed Thursday at a TechCrunch Disrupt main stage event. BMW senior vice president of digital products, Dieter May, showed it off, extolling its skills beyond “just voice commands.” He said the assistant would “live side by side with you” — which is either super helpful or super creepy. Read more…
More about Bmw, Voice Controls, Voice Assistants, Tech, and Transportation
View More BMW makes sure we can’t escape voice assistants while drivingBMW launches a personal voice assistant for its cars
At TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018, BMW today premiered its digital personal assistant for its cars, the aptly named BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. But you won’t have to say “Hey, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant” to wake it up. You can give it any name you want. The announcement comes only a few weeks after BMW also […]
View More BMW launches a personal voice assistant for its cars