Autonomous driving LiDAR sensor specialist AutoL announced on the 22nd that it has successfully attracted an initial investment of KRW 1.5 billion in the pre-A series. DSC Investment's subsidiary Schmitt invested KRW 1 billion, and AutoL's strategic partner, i-Tops Automotive, invested KRW 500 million each.

AutoL started as a Hyundai Motor in-house startup, underwent Hyundai Motor's startup incubation process, and spun off in May of this year. It is recognized for its technological capabilities in solving issues such as the price, size, and durability of high-resolution LiDAR sensors required for autonomous driving vehicles. Earlier, it was also selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' technology startup support program, TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup).

LiDAR is a critical component that serves as the eyes of autonomous vehicles, recognizing objects by analyzing the time it takes for light to reflect and return. LiDAR, compared to other sensors that recognize objects through radio waves, is more expensive, larger in size, and has less durability, which is considered a drawback. AutoL explained that it has addressed these LiDAR drawbacks by controlling the signal of light in its unique way, simplifying the product structure while maintaining resolution and detection distance. Representative products include a 32-channel LiDAR with a detection range of 300m, a 32-channel LiDAR with a detection range of 150m, and a headlamp-integrated LiDAR.

AutoL plans to accelerate the development of LiDAR sensor products for autonomous vehicles based on this investment. In particular, the headlamp-integrated LiDAR is expected to be widely applied in the production of autonomous vehicles in the future as it does not require modification of the vehicle's exterior design. Lee Yong-seong, CEO of AutoL, stated, "With this investment, we will grow into a specialized company that can supply various LiDAR products demanded by the market."

According to a report by the French market research firm Yole Development, the market size of perception sensors for autonomous vehicles recorded approximately $8.6 billion in 2020 and is predicted to grow to around $22 billion in 2025.

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