With the funding, the company plans to expand the presence of its assisted driving systems in China. Credit: AlinStock/Shutterstock.

DeepRoute.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving technology developer, has secured $100m (710m yuan) funding from an undisclosed automaker, reports Reuters.

The company’s existing investors, including Alibaba, participated in the funding alongside a new investor from the automotive industry.

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However, the identity of this investor and the post-funding valuation have not been disclosed.

With the funding, the company plans to expand the presence of its assisted driving systems in China.

By the end of 2025, DeepRoute.ai expects to have its technology in nearly 200,000 vehicles, an increase from the current 20,000.

CEO Maxwell Zhou told the news publication in an interview about the company’s ambitious plans, which include the introduction of more than ten models with its automotive partners in 2025.

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The first model featuring the system launched in August 2024, and two more models—one from the smart brand co-owned by Geely and Mercedes-Benz—are set to reach consumers this year, he said.

The expanding fleet will generate revenue for the company through a technology licensing fee per vehicle and collect crucial data, enabling its AI technology to evolve faster for handling increasingly complex traffic scenarios, Zhou added.

The latest development comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a prospective introduction of full self-driving in China.

Acknowledging Tesla as a pioneer, Zhou said: “China has more complicated traffic situations with pedestrians walking on motorways and millions of scooters rushing to deliver their goods.”

Apart from China, DeepRoute.ai is also eyeing opportunities in international markets such as Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, anticipating demand for smart driving technologies by 2027 or 2028.

Founded in 2019, DeepRoute.ai is said to use a ‘cost-effective’ approach for developing autonomous driving systems, avoiding the heavy investments in high-definition mapping favoured by many competitors.