These Startups Are Driving Innovation in Vehicle-to-Everything Communication in 2026

We have come down to the final part of our 3-Part V2X Communication series. In previous parts, we discussed the V2X market, including C-V2X and WLAN-V2X, and why most companies are adopting C-V2X, and the companies leading V2X research, including both Cellular and WLAN-based connectivity.

This article discusses noteworthy startups researching V2X and how they can make good candidates for acquisition by major technology or automotive companies to gain an upper hand in V2X research.

You might now ponder: All this is okay, but how do I choose the right startup for mergers and acquisitions?

To help you make the choice, we listed the top startups working in this domain, along with additional information such as investment funding, acquisitions (if any), collaborations with big companies, and our favorite piece of information: patent analytics. This information can help you make an educated decision and choose the Right startup suitable for your needs.

V2X is an integral and rapidly growing domain of the modern Automotive industry. To stay ahead in this competitive market, companies should understand the market growth, innovation trends, and strategic opportunities present. Our detailed V2X market report can provide you with these insights.

This report also discusses key drivers fueling this growth, like the rise of connected cars, urbanization, and advancements in 5G and AI technologies.

Fill out the form below to get a copy of this V2X market report into your inbox:

1. Valerann

Found in 2016 in Israel, Valerann is essentially a traffic management data platform that aims to make roads smarter by developing an end-to-end system installed directly on the road. Using different sensors, a unique algorithm, and a communication system tailored to the road’s unique requirements, the system provides real-time information to drivers and road operators. This includes recognizing danger, preventing accidents in real time, optimizing traffic flow, and providing autonomous car guidance and support. The Valerann system provides all these solutions in one product.

Investment Fundings

According to Crunchbase, Valerann has raised a total of $5 million in two rounds of investment. The funding rounds were distributed as follows:

• In 2018, the company raised around $5 million in a Seed funding round.
• In 2018, the company received an undisclosed amount of grant.

The investors who funded Valerann were 2B Angels, Telefonica, Wayra, Rio Ventures, and Pitch@Palace. (Source)

Valerann Patents

Valerann has filed 20 patents (5 families) so far. Of those 20, 5 patents have been granted. The startup has filed these patents in multiple jurisdictions.

Collaborations

• In 2018, the smart studs, which resemble conventional cat’s eyes used to demarcate routes, were created by the Israeli startup Valerann, which conducted its first pilot run in a real, congested environment with the assistance of highway operator Ayalon Highways Co.
• Globalvia accompanied Valerann at CES2020. Globalvia participated in the CES2020 edition with the Smart45 initiative, on which it collaborated with Valerann. This collaborative Smart45 project aimed to provide real-time updates to the control center and road users.
• Catapult assisted Valerann in accelerating their goals, transforming the intelligent transportation sector, and challenging the £52B Intelligent Transportation Systems segment. The Catapult assisted in the introduction of GPS into the foundations of Valerann’s scheme, enabling access to a sensory IoT traffic-control system.
• In 2020, Valerann and Excelerate formed a consortium to use satellite systems to promote safer roads and accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles. It assisted Valerann in using satellite communications and GPS technology to make the system flexible and crucially available as an off-grid solution.

2. Commsignia

Commsignia specializes in the research and development, manufacturing, and distribution of cooperative intelligent transportation systems. Its product line includes a V2X Communication Software Stack, Commsignia’s security stack implementation, Hybrid V2X/ADAS Safety Applications, a V2X Simulator, On-Board Units (OBU), and Roadside Units (RSU).

The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Investment Fundings

By August 2019, Commsignia had raised a total of $11 million in a series of funding rounds. Its lead investors are Karma Ventures and Samsung Catalyst Fund. The other investors include Partech, Inventure, Credo Ventures, and Day One Capital. These funds were primarily to strengthen Commsignia’s R&D capabilities and customer engagement. (Source)

Collaborations

• In 2017, Commsignia, u-blox, and NXP collaborated to address the immense growing demand for reliable Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) technology. This collaboration helped the three companies to deliver substantial time-to-market advantages and benefits to automotive customers with future-proof solutions. This speeds up the adoption of V2X technology by automotive manufacturers.
• In 2017, Commsignia partnered with Spirent Communications. This collaboration was made possible by Spirent combining Commsignia’s V2X Software Golden Sample with Spirent’s TTsuite-WAVE-DSRC test system. Commsignia used the Spirent TTsuite-WAVE-DSRC test system as a pre-certification tool for its Unplugged-RT V2X Protocol Stack.
• In 2018, Commsignia joined the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) to help build the future of the C-V2X ecosystem. This helped Commsignia join a group of global players in the communications and automotive industries. It is intended to use its specialist V2X domain knowledge to help initiate communications solutions standards while creating interoperable products. These products will enable fully automated vehicles, making future mobility safer and more efficient.

3. HAAS Alert

HAAS Alert aims to build lifesaving mobility solutions to make vehicles and roads safer and smarter. Their vision is a connected, collision-free world where everyone gets home safely. HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud service sends real-time digital alerts to drivers, connected cars, and autonomous vehicles via vehicle dashboards and infotainment systems, navigation applications, and smartphones to help drivers make safer, smarter driving decisions earlier.

Investment Fundings

By January 2021, HAAS Alert had raised a total of $2.3 million in its funding rounds. The funding rounds were distributed as follows:

• In 2016, HAAS Alert raised a total of $140K from Techstars in the Seed funding round.
• In 2017, HAAS Alert raised $1.2 million in its Seed funding round. The main investors in this round were NCT Ventures and Urban Us.
• In 2018, HAAS Alert received $1.1 million in funding from the Department of Homeland Security. This fund allowed it to leverage input from active and retired first responders nationwide while improving its technology.

There are around 10 investors in HAAS Alert, among them the lead investor, TechStars. The other investors include TechNexus Venture Collaborative, Ride Ventures, Stacked Capital, NCT Ventures, Urban Us, Fontinalis Partners, Wakestream Ventures, and Right Side Capital Management. (Source)

Collaborations

• In 2018, HAAS Alert and Zenuity partnered to enhance their respective automotive product offerings. The HAAS Alert Safety Cloud transmits alerts to connected cars, mobile apps, and autonomous vehicles when they are near responding to emergencies and other fleet vehicles. The collaboration with Zenuity enabled HAAS Alert to leverage Zenuity’s expertise, technology, and business relationships in the automotive industry while accelerating the adoption of the HAAS Alert Safety Cloud.
• In 2018, HAAS Alert partnered with REV Group primarily because REV Group used HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud. REV Group will use the Safety Cloud service on E-ONE, Ferrara, KME fire apparatus, and AXIS Smart Truck Technology. The HAAS Safety Cloud lets first responders broadcast their route to nearby motorists through smartphone apps when emergency vehicles are nearby.
• In 2019, HAAS Alert collaborated with the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). This collaboration enabled real-time digital alerts to be sent to the emergency response vehicles’ lights and sirens. The HA-5 device from HAAS Alert connects directly to any existing light bar on first responder vehicles. During an emergency, the device automatically sends real-time information to HAAS Alert’s ‘SafetyCloud’ platform, which alerts nearby drivers.
• In 2020, HAAS Alert partnered with the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA) to improve the safety of towing professionals. The Safety Cloud of HAAS Alert enabled tow trucks and other first-responder vehicles to send real-time digital alerts to drivers as they approached active incidents.

“We’re excited to be working with HAAS Alert and believe that Safety Cloud provides towers an effective layer of additional protection from approaching drivers, many of whom are simply not paying attention to the roadway.”

– Cynthia Martineau, Executive Director, TRAA.

4. Derq

Derq uses AI to power a real-time predictive analytics platform that helps eliminate crashes, save lives, and create safer, smarter roadways. It creates a unified view of all road users and predicts their movements 24/7, leveraging inputs from existing infrastructure, cameras, and other sensors.

Its analytics platform feeds a live dashboard available to road owners and operators and sends alerts to connected vehicles and infrastructure through its patented V2X technology.

Investment Fundings

Derq has raised a total of $3.6 million in two rounds of investment. The funding rounds were distributed as follows:

• In 2017, the company raised around $1.5 million in seed funding from the Techstars Mobility Accelerator.
• In 2018, the company raised another $1.6 million in a Seed funding round from Techstars. (Source)

Derq Patents

Derq has only 19 patents (2 unique families) in its portfolio. Of the 19 patents, 4 have been granted. In addition to the 12 US patents, the company has filed 1 patent in Singapore, China, Europe, and Canada.

Out of 2 unique families, 1 family includes 16 patents titled “Early warning and collision avoidance”. Derq filed this patent in multiple jurisdictions, including WIPO.

With this invention, driver activity is tracked and modeled to predict and prevent traffic breaches at intersections and provide early warning of potentially dangerous situations, helping with collision avoidance.

The other family includes 3 patents titled “Enhanced Onboard Equipment”. The patent has been filed for the US and WIPO.

Collaborations

• On the sidelines of the 37th Gitex Technology Week 2017, SDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Derq, DSOA, and RTA to use cutting-edge artificial intelligence to prevent traffic accidents. SDO joined hands with Derq to test the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States to improve safety at crossings with overlapping traffic between automobiles and the Dubai Tram.
• Derq was able to put its technologies to the test in a real-world environment thanks to a collaboration with PlanetM, which installed smart traffic signals in Detroit that can connect with CAVs.
• In 2018, MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) partnered with Derq, PlanetM, and FLIR Systems on a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) safety initiative in downtown Detroit. The partners chose this intersection because of its complex road dynamics and heavy traffic flow. To detect crashes, the project employed a combination of visual and radar sensors, as well as thermal imaging devices, to track vehicle, pedestrian, and traffic-light encounters. It then employed artificial intelligence algorithms to give vehicles and drivers up to two seconds of warning.
• At Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018, Derq demonstrated V2X technologies, including Intersection Safety and Vulnerable Road User Safety, in cooperation with Siemens. Derq is 1 of only 4 startups chosen by Siemens and its investment arm Next47 to showcase at InterTraffic’s Innovation Area.
• In 2018, Derq partnered with Flir Systems to convey real-time risks to drivers at the Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street intersection. Derq’s software tracked encounters between vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P). Thermal imaging and combined visible/radar sensors from Flir Systems were mounted at the intersection to enable Derq to run its software applications and produce predictions.
• In 2019, Derq collaborated with DENSO’s Ohio Smart Mobility Ecosystem to Drive Safety Solutions. The smart mobility ecosystem was used to validate and deploy infrastructure technology, develop value-added mobility services, and collect previously untapped data, all of which are critical to improving road and pedestrian safety and minimizing travel times.
• At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019, Derq presented AI-based road safety applications using Qualcomm Technologies’ C-V2X technology. Derq collaborated with Qualcomm Technologies to demonstrate capabilities using the cutting-edge Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset solution at Qualcomm Technologies’ automotive booth in Las Vegas.
• In 2021, Derq entered a multi-year distribution deal with Control Technologies Group (CT Group). Derq’s leading AI video monitoring tools for connected roads and vehicles, as well as traffic and safety insights, are deployed through CT Group’s extensive network in the US. The collaboration eventually brought together Derq’s forward-thinking innovators and CT Group’s veteran traffic signal industry professionals.

5. Foresight Autonomous

Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd is a technology company that designs, develops, and commercializes sensor systems for the automotive industry. Through the company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Foresight Automotive Ltd. and Eye-Net Mobile Ltd., Foresight develops both “in-line-of-sight” vision systems and“beyond-line-of-sight” cellular-based applications.

Foresight’s vision sensor is a four-camera system based on 3D video analysis, advanced image processing algorithms, and sensor fusion. Eye-Net Mobile’s cellular-based application is a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) accident-prevention solution that leverages real-time spatial analysis of clients’ movements.

The company’s systems are designed to improve driving safety by enabling highly accurate and reliable threat detection while ensuring the lowest false-alarm rates. Foresight is targeting the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), the semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle markets, and predicts that its systems will revolutionize automotive safety by providing an automotive-grade, cost-effective platform and advanced technology.

Investment Fundings

According to Owler and Crunchbase, Foresight Automotive has raised $18.8 million across three rounds of investment. The funding rounds were distributed as follows:

• In 2017, the company raised around $6.4 million from a Post-IPO Equity round.
• In 2018, the company raised around $6.9 million from a Post-IPO Equity round.
• In 2018, the company raised around $5.5 million from a Post-IPO Equity round.
• In 2019, the company raised around $1 million from an Equity round.

The top investors who funded Foresight Automotive were RH Electronics Ltd., Meitav Investment House, Psagot Investment House, and Harel Insurance Investments and Financial Services. (Source)

Foresight Automotive Patents

The company has 28 patents (8 families) in its portfolio. Out of 28 patents, only 2 have been granted.  Most of the patents are held by Israel and Europe.

Acquisitions

In 2018, Tamda Ltd. and its majority shareholder, Ipax Issues Ltd., reached a merger agreement with Foresight Automotive. After the acquisition, Foresight transferred 100% of the subsidiary’s share capital to Tamda in exchange for nearly 74.49% of Tamda’s share capital as of the closing date of the transaction.

Collaborations

• In 2018, Foresight Automotive signed a non-binding MoU with an Israeli direct importer of many leading vehicle manufacturers. The deal includes the terms of selling Foresight’s Eyes-On System for aftermarket configuration and incorporation into the importer’s vehicles in Israel. Eyes-On is an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that detects a wide range of potential threats, including vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, animals, and more, with near-zero false positives.
• In 2019, Foresight Automotive entered into a multi-phase technological partnership agreement with a Chinese Tier One provider to build smart mobility technologies for the Chinese automotive industry, primarily for two Chinese vehicle manufacturers (OEMs). According to the contract, Foresight collaborated with the Tier One supplier to plan, produce, and commercialize automated safety solutions for implementation in Chinese OEM vehicles.
• In 2020, Foresight Automotive attended the University of Michigan’s TechLab at Mcity 2021 startup cohort, run by the Center for Entrepreneurship, to further improve the automotive vision technology for ADAS and autonomous vehicles. Foresight participated in a one-year program with a team of students from the University of Michigan’s technical departments, which focused on developing, demonstrating, and implementing key autonomous vehicle technologies.
• In 2020, Eye-Net Mobile Ltd., a subsidiary of Foresight Automotive, began testing its Eye-Net Protect cellular-based V2X (vehicle-to-everything) collision avoidance solution with a multibillion-dollar multinational Japanese electronics corporation. The Eye-Net Protect V2X solution was created to protect the most vulnerable road users in real-time, such as pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders, and car drivers, by providing crash warnings when road users do not have a straight line of sight.
• In 2020, Foresight Automotive joined NVIDIA Inception, an acceleration platform. In addition, Foresight continued its software integration activities with the NVIDIA DRIVE platform to support the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
• In 2020, Foresight Automotive signed a contract with FLIR Systems Inc. Both companies collaborated on technology to improve the efficiency of FLIR Systems’ thermal cameras within the QuadSight system, achieving the best results in extreme weather and lighting conditions and establishing automotive connectivity solutions.
• In 2020, Eye-Net Mobile Ltd concluded a partnership agreement with NoTraffic Ltd. NoTraffic built a novel, patented Autonomous Traffic Management Platform that addresses today’s traffic issues while enabling traffic authorities to reap accessibility benefits. The network allows cities to intelligently enforce traffic policies and operate autonomously to optimize traffic flow, minimize congestion, prioritize various vehicle types, and avoid collisions.
• In 2020, Eye-Net Mobile signed a distribution agreement with Cornes Technologies. As per the arrangement, Cornes Technologies facilitated the integration of the Eye-Net cellular-based accident-avoidance solution suite into third-party devices and applications in Japan.
• In 2021, Eye-Net Mobile Ltd. signed a commercial partnership agreement with SaverOne. According to the agreement, the Eye-Net Protect system was integrated into the SaverOne solution to provide an additional layer of safety and improve its ability to prevent accidents by alerting drivers to potential risks.

Future Outlook

V2X is a necessary solution not just for the self-driving industry but also an important constituent in developing smart cities, where vehicles can be connected to everything.  Given the predicted market growth and the number of companies and startups in the technology sector, the future outlook for V2X looks very promising.

If you are already working in V2X or want to invest in it, you would want more specific details than what this report covers. You would want answers to questions like:

• What other Chinese players are leading V2X research besides Huawei?
• Are other Chinese automotive companies researching V2X solutions?
• How does China’s lead in V2X affect the self-driving market?
• A list of 100 Startups researching in V2X

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