Nvidia invests in Chinese autonomous trucking startup TuSimple
Nvidia has invested in TuSimple, the graphics card maker revealed today. It is investing in a $20 million round led by Sina, the Chinese check giant behind Weibo, and it is also providing TuSimple with Nvidia tech to power its self-driving platform, including NVIDIA GPUs, its Drive PX 2 autonomous computer, Jetson TX2 and more.
TuSimple has already run an SAE Level 4 (true self-driving) test ride between San Diego, California and Yuma, Arizona. That took place in June, spanning 200 miles and using camera data primarily to navigate the highway route. The startup has research and development facilities in both Beijing and San Diego, and more than 100 employees.
This investment comes at an interesting time for TuSimple who are running trials, with their car identification tool using its image recognition software . This is in turn could present the company with additional revenue opportunities.