TOKYO, Jul 15, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. ("Woven Planet"), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, announced the acquisition of CARMERA, Inc. ("CARMERA"), a U.S.-based spatial AI company, which specializes in bringing next-generation road intelligence to automated mobility at scale. This is the second major deal for Woven Planet in North America, following the April 2021 announcement to acquire Level 5, the self-driving division of Lyft.Once the deal is closed, the CARMERA team will report into the Automated Mapping Platform ("AMP") organization of Woven Alpha, Inc. ("Woven Alpha"). Woven Alpha focuses on exploring new strategic areas for business expansion and incubates several innovative projects such as Woven City and Arene, which is Woven Planet's open software platform. AMP is a connected crowdsourced software platform that supports the creation, development and distribution of high definition ("HD") maps--a key enabler for smart and safe automated mobility.The Woven Alpha team plans to develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform, enabling high-precision localization support to automated vehicles. The acquisition of CARMERA will accelerate AMP's shift from the R&D stage to the next phase of commercialization by bolstering the platform's engineering team with top experts in the development of HD maps. In addition, it will provide access to CARMERA's sophisticated map update, change management and IoT sensing technology.Together, the teams will tap into CARMERA's ability to successfully update HD maps from crowdsourced, camera-based inputs--a significantly cheaper and faster approach than traditional methods. This will strengthen AMP's ability to serve a comprehensive set of road classes and features, reflecting changes in lane markings, traffic signals, signs and more in near real-time, and support its future multi-regional commercial launch.CARMERA will join Woven Planet Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary, expanding the company's footprint beyond its Tokyo headquarters by adding New York and Seattle offices to its planned offices in Silicon Valley and London.Comment from Mandali Khalesi, Vice President of Automated Driving Strategy and Mapping, Woven Planet"AMP has been a key project of Woven Planet since its foundation, helping support its vision of 'Mobility to Love, Safety to Live.' We've been progressing steadily in bringing safe automated mobility to the passenger and commercial vehicle segments, such as our recent announcements with Isuzu Motors Limited and Hino Motors, Ltd., and with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation. I'm really excited to welcome CARMERA to Woven Planet. With CARMERA joining the team, we'll be able to hit the accelerator. CARMERA's software stack, which is focused on real-time HD map changes and proprietary hardware custom-tailored to crowdsourcing, is an ideal complement to AMP's mapping efforts. In addition, their world-class experts will allow us to bring forward the execution of key strategic milestones and jumpstart operations in the United States."Comment from Ro Gupta, CEO and Co-founder, CARMERA"Woven Planet and AMP have been highly aligned with CARMERA's culture and mission from the beginning. Our teams have a common view of the unmet need for ubiquity in advanced mobility data going forward, including maps. Woven Planet, thanks to its software-first automotive DNA, shares our commitment to the end-user--to creating a technology stack that can be used safely and without friction by all stakeholders from data originators through to data consumers. This validates and furthers our founding thesis that richer, faster spatial intelligence is both critical to the next generation of 'Mobility for All' and viable at global-production scale. I'm beyond excited for CARMERA to join the Woven Planet organization, as it continues to strengthen its footprint in North America and ramp up its software-first development of mobility innovations."An earlier partnership between Woven Planet--under its predecessor organization Toyota Research institute - Advanced Development, Inc.--and CARMERA in Tokyo, Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan, laid the groundwork for this deal. Woven Planet and CARMERA participated in collaborative projects in 2018, 2019 and 2020, which proved the companies can successfully develop and update HD maps from commodity, device-agnostic sources, such as commercially available dashboard-mounted cameras.About Woven Planet GroupWoven Planet Group represents a carefully curated blend of expertise and resources dedicated to bringing the vision of "Mobility to Love, Safety to Live" to life. Through innovations and investments in automated driving, robotics, smart cities, and more, we are transforming how humankind lives, works, and moves. We exist to design, build, and deliver secure, connected, and sustainable mobility solutions that benefit all people worldwide. Founded in 2018 as Toyota Research Institute - Advanced Development (TRI-AD), Woven Planet Group is composed of four complementary companies: Woven Planet Holdings, Woven Core, Woven Alpha, and Woven Capital.For more information, please visit: https://www.woven-planet.global/About CARMERACARMERA is a spatial AI company, built on the revolution of vehicular crowdsourcing and remote sensing to capture street-level change, at global breadth and high definition depth. CARMERA employs an open systems approach to working with the world's leading automotive companies, commercial mobility operators, and mapping platforms. With a team hailing from leading geospatial, machine learning and computer vision organizations, and venture backing from GV (Google Ventures) among others, the company is headquartered in New York City and Seattle. CARMERA is the recipient of multiple industry awards, including Frost & Sullivan's 2020 North American Mapping Company of the Year.For more information, please visit: https://www.carmera.com/ Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
TOKYO, Jun 23, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Woven Alpha, Inc. ("Woven Alpha"), a group company of Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. ("Woven Planet"), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation ("Toyota"), has agreed to collaborate with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation ("MFTBC") to explore and advance safety for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems ("ADAS") with its Automated Mapping Platform ("AMP"). The initiation of this relationship between Woven Alpha and MFTBC marks another cross-industry collaboration with a commercial vehicle manufacturer outside the Toyota Group. Together the companies are conducting both lab-based and field test research for the development and deployment of improved safety functionality.This collaboration will explore the technical requirements of using AMP with MFTBC ADAS as well as the advantages of using AMP high definition ("HD") maps over conventional maps. Between the two companies, over 10 distinct use cases have been identified. The first Proof of Concept ("PoC") will focus on the application of AMP to provide an accurate Entering Curve Speed Warning ("ECSW") developed by MFTBC using their heavy-duty Super Great trucks. The results of this research will set the baseline for one of the ADAS performance upgrades available for commercial vehicles. This technology will help open up more exciting opportunities for collaboration with users and vehicle manufacturers outside the Toyota Group who are interested in taking advantage of enhanced mapping information to fully realize ADAS and automated driving functionality in their vehicles.Collaboration between Woven Alpha and MFTBC with AMPOverviewThe traditional solution for safety systems that use mapping technology has been to leverage navigation maps due to their relatively low cost. However, the lack of real-time updates means these maps are usually months out of date which can be dangerous for vehicles with higher levels of autonomy. In addition, their low accuracy in the order of meters makes it difficult to develop precise applications that operate safely at the lane level. Navigation maps also do not contain semantics, in other words, the relationship between road objects, such as between lanes on a road. Additionally, while it is relatively straightforward to deploy survey vehicles to generate the initial mapping data, the instruments are highly specialized and often expensive to operate. This leads to map maintenance being costly and time-consuming, further reducing the updates that can be deployed economically to end-users.However, the real world does not stand still. Regular changes to road markings, road geometry, or structural changes resulting from construction need to be reflected quickly into the HD maps in order for ADAS and automated driving functions to operate safely. AMP has been developed to solve these issues by automating the fusion of near real-time data from vehicle fleets and wide area coverage satellite and aerial imagery and dramatically improving map update frequency, coverage, and cost.Supporting MFTBC's ECSW feature is a great example of AMP providing immediate benefit to driver and vehicle safety. As part of the first PoC, both companies will test this feature that predicts the safest speed and gives advanced warning on how to approach an upcoming sharp curve, based on the vehicle's condition. The ability of the system to anticipate road and lane conditions ahead is particularly important for commercial vehicle drivers in order to avoid accidents. Through high-accuracy, low-cost, and up-to-date semantic HD maps, AMP aims to provide significantly improved driver awareness, system redundancy, and overall road safety.Comment from Mandali Khalesi, Vice President of Automated Driving Strategy and Mapping, Woven Planet"I am delighted to collaborate with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, one of the leading truck and bus makers in Japan, perfectly suited to push the envelope on the safety of commercial vehicles. Our work is not only about getting people and goods from A to B, it is about saving people's lives and reducing the burden on the driver. Over the last few years, we have been working on developing highly accurate semantic HD maps updated automatically, frequently, and inexpensively. We are building the platform to be highly scalable and open to future collaboration with global manufacturers of all sizes. This is the first step in our commitment to helping maximize safety for commercial vehicles."Comment from Hironobu Ando, Senior Vice President, Head of Product Engineering, MFTBC"We at MFTBC approach automated driving assistance technology, and the autonomous driving technology beyond that, as a strategic point of focus in producing safer commercial vehicles. We are doing the utmost to develop these technologies, because we believe that they will soon be indispensable in our world. Woven Alpha's AMP has the potential to be an important part of this future, and we are therefore convinced that the joint research will prove to be mutually beneficial. We hope to participate in active knowledge-sharing with our partners to the maximum extent possible, for the ultimate goal of safer roads everywhere."About Woven Planet GroupWoven Planet Group (Woven Planet) represents a carefully curated blend of expertise and resources dedicated to bringing the vision of "Mobility to Love, Safety to Live" to life. Through innovations and investments in automated driving, robotics, smart cities, and more, we are transforming how humankind lives, works, and moves. We exist to design, build, and deliver secure, connected, and sustainable mobility solutions that benefit all people worldwide. Founded in 2018 as Toyota Research Institute - Advanced Development (TRI-AD), Woven Planet is comprised of four complementary companies: Woven Planet Holdings, Woven Core, Woven Alpha, and Woven Capital.For more information, please visit: https://www.woven-planet.global/MFTBC at a GlanceBased in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, with 89.29% of its shares owned by Daimler Truck AG and 10.71% by various Mitsubishi group companies. An icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with a longstanding history of more than 85 years with its Fuso brand, MFTBC manufactures a range of commercial vehicles including light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, and industrial engines for over 170 markets worldwide. In 2017, MFTBC introduced the eCanter, the first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production and in 2019, the Super Great--Japan's first heavy-duty truck fitted with Level 2 Automated Driving Support Technology, a benchmark in the Japanese commercial vehicle market. MFTBC operates under the umbrella of Daimler Trucks Asia, together with its partner organization Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India. This strategic unit allows the entities to collaborate on areas such as product development, parts sourcing and production to provide the best value to customers.Contact:Woven Planet Holdings, Inc.Public Relationspr@woven-planet.globalhttps://www.woven-planet.global/ Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
Singapore, Jun 18, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Alpha DX Group Limited, ("Alpha DX", the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"), a premier learning and education solution company, is pleased to announce that its technology subsidiary, ZioNext Pte Ltd, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to invest in Singapore-based JobForesight, which has developed a cloud-based application, Careershe, that offers an academic & career planning platform that is targeted at the largest education system in the world.Guangdong-based Careershe (https://www.careershe.com/en.html) was created to assist Chinese youth between ages of 15 and 25 years old to equip themselves with the relevant information and knowledge that are necessary for them to optimise their decision-making process in choosing the appropriate education programs as well as the career opportunities that are best suited to them.With personalised matching analysis using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the database on Careershe's platform, Careershe can enable Chinese youths to navigate through the extremely competitive education and career environment by personalising the education and career roadmap with the formulation of an optimal academic and career design.With the proposed investment, Careershe universal student navigation platform will be integrated with Alpha DX's Ubiquitous Learning Super Platform (ULSP) to expand the Group's service offerings to harness new opportunities within the global learning and education ecosystem.The Company will update shareholders of any developments on the proposed investment in JobForesight.Formerly known as Alpha Energy Holdings Limited, the Group has transformed itself in January 2021 with fund raising and restructuring initiatives under the leadership of technology and financial veterans in the learning and education industry.Alpha DX's CEO, Mr Daiji Yamada, said, "Education unlocks vital skills that shapes our career and lives, hence Careershe is developed as a trusted and reliable source for Chinese students to obtain objective insights and professional guidance in their education and career journey to achieve their full potential and dreams. We aim to work together with Careershe to enable more youths to acquire the relevant skillsets and knowledge in their areas of interest and to transition seamlessly in their future careers."About Alpha DX Group Limited(Bloomberg: ALEN:SP / Reuters: ALPH.SI/ SGX Stock Code: VVL)Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Alpha DX Group Limited ("Alpha DX") is one of the region's leading learning solution companies.Led by the veterans in Technology, Education, Corporate Training and Business consultancy in both the Board of Directors and the management team, Alpha DX provides next generation XR(2) integrated solutions in learning and education market enabling our customers to create engaging, impactful learning and training experiences that have never been possible until now-- Next generation Learning Institutions, multi-dimensional learning design, digital content creation, learning technologies, learning platform solutions and systems integration -- all under one roof.With a strategic focus on integrating Extended Reality (XR)(1) technology to create a personalised and expanded learning experience, Alpha DX aims to develop new value propositions to serve the future needs of learners from its diversified customer base, ranging from government agencies, education institutions to private enterprises.For more information, please visit www.alpha-dx.com.sg(1) XR is a term used to describe immersive technologies (such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality plus other new innovations that are still in development) that can merge the physical and virtual worlds.Issued on behalf of Alpha DX Group Limited. by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.Media & Investor Contacts:Mr. Alex TANMobile: +65 9451 5252Email: alex.tan@8prasia.comThis press release has been reviewed by the Company's sponsor, PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the "Sponsor"). It has not been examined or approved by the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the "Exchange") and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this press release, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this press release.The contact person for the Sponsor is Ms Ng Shi Qing, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Income at Raffles, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg. Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
Toyota City, Japan, Jun 8, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Woven Alpha, Inc., a group company of Woven Planet Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, Isuzu Motors Limited, and Hino Motors, Ltd. announced today an agreement to proceed with talks to utilize the Automated Mapping Platform (AMP) developed by Woven Alpha.AMP is a connected crowdsourced software platform that supports the creation, development and distribution of high definition (HD) maps--a key enabler for smart and safe automated mobility. AMP provides high-precision data driven maps by utilizing vehicle fleet data and advanced satellite imagery technology. AMP HD map includes several layers of data rich information of road objects such as lanes, road signs, traffic lights, and other objects, as well as that of road curves and topography creating an accurate representation of the road while keeping it updated. The Woven Alpha team plans to develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform enabling high-precision localization support to automated driving vehicles.With the aim of realizing smarter and safer logistics through automated driving and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) using HD maps, Isuzu and Hino will examine the potential application of AMP on the domain of small commercial-purpose trucks. The initiative aims to contribute to the dissemination of safer automated driving and ADAS with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation that intends to accelerate CASE responses, which Toyota announced with Isuzu and Hino. Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
Walnut Creek, Calif., Apr 14, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Accuvest Global Advisors is pleased to announce multiple portfolios featured in its Alpha Brands(TM) U.S. equity suite have been recognized with Informa Top Guns awards. 'Alpha Brands Core Equity' and 'Dynamic Brands Equity' together won 10 PSN Top Guns designations for Q4 2020. Alpha Brands(TM) U.S. equity strategies is designed to help investors gain access to the primary driver of the economy: U.S. Household Consumption. Accuvest also proudly announces that as of February 28, 2021, the Rational Dynamic Brands mutual fund (Ticker: HSUTX), was awarded a 5-star Morningstar Rating, as well as an Investors Choice for "Best Equity Fund The Dynamic Brands strategy is anchored to a timeless and commonsense theme: Global Household Consumption. Accuvest believes that this $44 trillion a year investment opportunity is so large and predictable that it warrants a dedicated place in a portfolio. By investing in the most relevant consumer-facing brands and giving the maximum flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions it has been able to deliver significant outperformance for its clients. "Accuvest is thrilled to receive a 5-star Morningstar rating," said David Garff, President and CIO of Accuvest. "Since Accuvest took over the Dynamic Brands fund in October 2017, its team has worked tirelessly to deliver something unique in the marketplace. Combining the proprietary Brand Relevancy scoring system with deep sector and factor analysis, Accuvest has been able to achieve excellent results for its investors. As Accuvest moves forward we feel that it will be critical to continue being precise in exposure, but flexible in risk-taking."The Alpha Brands(TM) suite of equity strategies references a proprietary Index called The Alpha Brands Consumer Spending Index(TM). The Index tracks the 200 most relevant Brands, identifying the growth and innovation leaders across 70 consumer-facing industries. Alpha Brands 'Dynamic Brands Equity' strategy is an actively managed and focused portfolio of the brands best suited for the current macro environment. "Investors are chronically underweight in the single most important driver of every major economy namely consumption. In the consumption economy, companies that own strong brands tend to have better financial metrics which, in aggregate, tend to be predictors of strong stock performance," said Eric Clark, Portfolio Manager. "Our ambitious goal is to outperform the market over rolling 3-year periods on an absolute and risk-adjusted basis by monitoring the macro environment and anchoring our portfolio to companies that own strong brands."About Accuvest Global AdvisorsAccuvest Global Advisors, with a U.S. and international client base of institutions, financial advisors and high net worth investors, carefully navigates complex global capital markets. An SEC-registered advisor, Accuvest offers a wide range of investment solutions through an innovative, global investment philosophy. Discretionary portfolios include the global equity Country First(TM) ETF suite of products, the equity portfolio Alpha Brands(TM) suite of products, and ETF and mutual fund Custom Models designed for you.For more information please visit: Accuvest.com or Globalbrandsmatter.com.For media, please contact: Accuvest Global Advisors, marketing@accuvest.com.Or visit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accuvest-global-advisors/Accuvest Global Advisors - Alpha Brands, at Morningstar: www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/hsutx/quoteSOURCE: Accuvest Global Advisors Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)





