automotive-safety
(3)
Owl Autonomous Imaging
Owl Autonomous Imaging (Owl AI) builds Monocular 3D Thermal Ranging cameras and AI perception software that let vehicles and machines see people, animals and obstacles in total darkness, blinding glare, fog, rain and snow. Founded in 2018 by Chuck Gershman and Gene Petilli, the Fairport, New York company pairs its own HD long-wave infrared focal plane array with thermal CNNs to deliver both classification and distance from a single passive camera - aimed at pedestrian automatic emergency braking, ADAS and defense.
Autobrain
Autobrain is a Boca Raton-based connected-car company that turns almost any post-1995 vehicle into a 'smart car' with a plug-and-play OBD-II device paired to a mobile app. Built with input from EMTs and first responders, it delivers automatic crash response that dials 911 to your exact location, real-time GPS tracking, teen/senior/baby safety modes, vehicle-health diagnostics, roadside assistance, and fleet monitoring - all on a low-cost device and monthly subscription aimed at families and small businesses.
Luminar Technologies
Luminar Technologies is an automotive lidar and perception company founded by teenage Thiel Fellow Austin Russell. It built 1550nm lidar sensors and software designed to give passenger cars, trucks and robotaxis long-range, high-resolution sight in the dark, winning production deals with Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Polestar and partnerships with NVIDIA and Mobileye. After a 2020 SPAC debut at a roughly $3.4B valuation, mounting losses, a 2025 CEO ethics inquiry that removed Russell, and the loss of its anchor Volvo contract pushed the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025.