Ushr Inc., creator and provider of the most precise, high-definition (HD) mapping technology and software for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles currently available, today announced that it has secured $10 million in Series A funding, commensurate with its spin-off from GeoDigital, Inc. Forté Ventures led the investment round with participation from EnerTech Capital, Emerald Technology Ventures, and GM Ventures.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in mapping engineering structures, power lines, railways and roadways, the Ushr team spent the past three years developing the first production HD map software for autonomous driving. Now having mapped the entire U.S. and Canada controlled access highway network with under four inches deviation, Ushr's platform provides the most accurate long and medium-distance sensing systems to enable autonomous vehicles (AVs) to safely navigate roadways.

"Ushr provides a long-range view that allows the vehicle to proactively plan safer routes and anticipate roadway changes instead of merely reacting to sensor inputs," said Bruce Gordon, Ushr CEO. "In a recent road test comparison, our nearest competition had dozens of lane touches and several crossovers; our maps had zero touches and zero crossovers."

Ushr's HD mapping technology in combination with vehicle sensors and on-road cameras conveys "real world" detail to AVs. The company's control algorithms are constantly interpreting and communicating key details from sensors to the vehicle control system, allowing for more precise steering, safer vehicle control and directional predictability.

The technology currently applies to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) but has a role in every stage of development within the autonomous driving technology spectrum. Presently, Ushr is working with major automotive manufacturers and suppliers, including General Motors (GM), to integrate Ushr software and map technology into future products.

"Ushr's mapping data is an important piece of GM's technology as we work on the path toward self-driving vehicles and these kinds of innovations bring us closer to that vision," said Sherwin Prior, Managing Director at GM Ventures.

The Series A investment will allow Ushr to advance the development of lower cost data acquisition technologies and of automated map production using artificial intelligence techniques; to build a fleet of data collection vehicles; and to test in-vehicle software on automotive grade embedded hardware.

ABOUT USHR

Ushr, Inc. is shaping the evolution of autonomous vehicle navigation by providing the most precise, high-definition mapping technology and software for autonomous vehicles on the market today. By interpreting and communicating street view navigation, Ushr enables autonomous vehicle passengers to travel from Point A to Point B as safely and as efficiently as possible. Founded in June of 2017, Ushr is a spin-off of GeoDigital, Inc. and is based in Detroit; for more information, please visit ushrauto.com.