Osram has acquired a strategic 25.1 percent share in LeddarTech Inc., a Canadian company that develops a proprietary LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) technology integrated into semiconductors and sensor modules for self-driving cars and driver-assistance systems. LeddarTech specializes in solid-state LiDAR systems that use infrared light to monitor the area around them, and the company says its advanced optical sensing technology is highly complementary with Osram’s semiconductor products. The two companies already work together and Osram has now made an investment in LeddarTech in the mid-double-digit million euros.
“Osram is already the world’s leading provider of sensor lights for autonomous vehicles and is experiencing steadily rising demand in this field. We see the investment in LeddarTech as a logical step on the way to becoming the leading provider of solutions in this area,” said Stefan Kampmann, chief technology officer at OSRAM Licht AG.
“We see a great natural fit between our two companies and are pleased to welcome Osram as a strategic investor,” said Charles Boulanger, LeddarTech’s CEO. “LeddarTech is on its way to becoming the reference in solid-state LiDARs for the automotive industry, and we believe our association with the market leader in automotive lighting represents an important milestone in that direction,” said Boulanger. “This investment from Osram is part of a larger financing round currently under way by LeddarTech and expected to be finalized shortly. Further details will be provided after the closing of the round.”
Osram’s investment in LeddarTech is a response to the growing demand for LiDAR technology – an essential component in self-driving vehicles and in many other mobility-related applications. LiDAR is similar to radar technology in that it detects objects and measures distances and speeds, but it is based on infrared light. LeddarTech was established in 2007 and is based in Québec, Canada.
