Basemark, a Helsinki-based automotive AR company, announced that it has secured €22M in a series B round of funding.
Founded in 2015 by Tero Sarkkinen, Basemark specialises in advanced automotive AR solutions, including AR Navigation and ADAS visualisations for HUDs and in-car screens.
The company’s Rocksolid AR platform offers a visual design studio, SDK, and optimised runtimes for automotive environments, facilitating the development of innovative AR applications for vehicles.
Basemark has raised a total of €34M in funding and operates in Helsinki, Munich, Detroit, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Investors supporting Basemark
The investment was a mix of equity, grants, and loans.
ETF Partners led the round, with contributions from Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi), Constructor Capital, a Zürich-based single family office, Business Finland, the European Innovation Council, and private investors.
Remy de Tonnac, Senior Partner at ETF Partners, says, “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.”
“This shift will result in a substantial reduction of emissions. 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.”
Capital utilisation
Basemark plans to expand its business with OEMs in Europe, the US, Japan, China, and South Korea. The company aims to secure more series production deals and enhance its Rocksolid AR software tools for automotive applications.
The company secured its first series production deal with an OEM in the US last year and is also actively discussing with major OEMs in Europe and Asia.
Tero Sarkkinen, founder and CEO of Basemark, says, “We are pleased to welcome new investors Tesi and Constructor Capital onboard, as well as thank our existing investor ETF for their continued support.”
“Constructor Capital’s Founder, Serg Bell, is an exceptional entrepreneur and has founded many companies that offer synergies to Basemark. We’re excited to work together to make driving more safe and enjoyable.”
“OEMs want to become software developers themselves because of the software-defined car megatrend. However, AR development is very slow, expensive, and tedious to learn, requiring expertise in AI, computer vision, graphics, and embedded systems.”
Sarkkinen further adds, “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.”
Basemark’s Rocksolid AR: Everything you need to know
Rocksolid AR software enables OEMs to develop Augmented Reality applications for Heads-up Displays (HUDs) and in-vehicle screens, aiming to enhance driving safety and provide a more enjoyable experience.
By projecting real-time contextual guidance, alerts, and AR content onto windshields, AR HUDs help drivers keep their focus on the road, contributing to improved road safety globally.
Basemark claims that its Rocksolid AR stands out by offering OEMs an integrated solution combining an AR development studio with an interconnected SDK. This enables OEMs to develop custom AR applications in-house, reflecting their brand identity efficiently.
This approach sets Rocksolid AR apart from competitors focused solely on AR software development services.
Rocksolid AR features advanced localisation and motion tracking for precise anchoring of AR content in the driver’s Field of View, ensuring accuracy despite motion or vibration. This enhances the reliability of AR applications in automotive settings.
Additionally, Rocksolid AR minimises latency and prevents motion sickness by ensuring AR content feels integrated with the real world. It also automatically avoids blocking safety-critical information in the driver’s environment for a safe and immersive AR experience.
Founder Sarkkinen says, “Displaying the right information at the right time and place for the driver is the most difficult part of developing immersive automotive AR experiences. Rocksolid AR handles all the AI heavy lifting for positioning content in the most immersive way, enabling OEMs to focus on brand differentiation.”
Rocksolid AR Studio enables OEMs to create lightweight portable AR applications for multiple in-vehicle displays, including HUDs, instrument clusters, infotainment displays, and E-mirrors, using low-end chips efficiently.
Basemark reports that in 2022, it played a significant role in developing BMW Group’s new iX AR applications. The company serves various OEMs and Tier-1 companies in the US, Germany, France, Italy, and the UK.
The company will showcase and demonstrate Rocksolid AR at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, from April 9 to 11, 2024.
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