Relying on the "Automotive Intelligence + Beidou Navigation and Communication" strategy to accelerate its overseas expansion, Beidou Intelligent Connectivity has completed a strategic Series B financing of hundreds of millions of yuan | First reported by 36Kr
36Kr has learned that Beidou Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd. recently completed a strategic Series B financing of hundreds of millions of yuan. This round of financing was led by GAC Capital (co-led with Yufu Fund), and followed by multiple industrial investment institutions such as Chendao Capital, Shangqi Capital, Ningde Wanhe Investment, FAW Industrial Fund, and Anhui State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
It is reported that the funds raised in this round by Beidou Zhilian will be used for research and development investment in innovative product areas such as Beidou communication and navigation, AI+, embodied intelligence, and low-altitude economy, and at the same time, to accelerate the company's process of going global.
Beidou Zhilian was established in 2019, and "Automotive Intelligence + Beidou Communication and Navigation" is the company's core strategic direction. After years of development, the company's product line now covers multiple fields such as intelligent cockpits, intelligent driving, positioning and communication, intelligent display, and body domain control. Currently, the company has reached cooperation agreements with more than 20 domestic and foreign customers such as Changan, Geely, GAC, Chery, Great Wall, and FAW. Its core products have been installed in more than 200 models in total, and the cumulative shipment volume has exceeded 15 million units/sets. In terms of R & D and production layout, the company has established six R & D centers in Chongqing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suqian, Nanjing, and Shanghai; and built three manufacturing bases in Chongqing, Suqian, and Thailand, with an annual production capacity of 5 million units/sets.
Hua Weicheng, the chairman of Beidou Zhilian, said: "Beidou Zhilian has been refining its differentiated products and technologies. In addition, the company has also made arrangements in innovative products such as AI applications, embodied intelligence, and low-altitude economy, which is the second growth curve that the company is striving to build."
Taking Beidou communication and navigation, one of Beidou Zhilian's core products, as an example, Liu Ruilei, the general manager of the Strategic Development Center, explained to 36Kr: "Beidou Zhilian is the only Tier 1 supplier in China that has a full range of Beidou communication and navigation products." He said that products such as high-precision positioning terminals, integrated navigation, and 4G/5G communication all fall within the scope of Beidou communication and navigation. After years of exploration, the company has built an independently developed technology matrix centered on multi-source fusion positioning algorithms, anti-strong interference communication algorithms, dynamic data optimization algorithms, and AI positioning enhancement algorithms.
"Taking AI positioning enhancement as an example, traditional algorithms are mostly limited to passive adaptation and error correction of current signals, which can only meet the accuracy and stability requirements of basic positioning. However, Beidou Zhilian deeply integrates deep learning with positioning technology. Through the AI model, it accurately simulates, intelligently filters, and dynamically enhances the signal characteristics in complex scenarios. It can not only effectively identify and filter out interference signals, but also actively make up for the positioning shortcomings in weak signal and occlusion scenarios. Ultimately, it realizes the full-domain expansion of signal coverage, a significant improvement in positioning accuracy, and stability and reliability in extreme environments."
Beidou Zhilian has also put forward the product concept of "Space-Air-Ground Integration".
Liu Ruilei introduced to 36Kr: "After integrating high-orbit Beidou positioning and Tiantong satellite communication, accessing low-orbit satellite networks, and coordinating with ground 4G/5G and RTK networks, this product will form a tripartite integrated service capability. This concept is expected to solve the problems of continuous high-precision positioning and reliable communication for vehicles across the whole domain and all the time. It is not only an upgrade of the existing assisted driving experience, but also prepares digital infrastructure for future full-scenario autonomous driving, low-altitude flight, remote unmanned operations, and other applications. Its application scope will also extend from automobiles to fields such as low-altitude aircraft and robots."
In order to strengthen the company's second growth curve, Beidou Zhilian has also formulated a three-in-one AI technology layout strategy of "hardware + software + scenario definition".
Beidou Zhilian introduced to 36Kr that the so-called "three-in-one" means that on the hardware side, the company has launched a series of AI BOX products covering different computing power levels, and these products have completed the adaptation to multiple mainstream platforms, which can meet the computing power needs of different customers; on the software side, Beidou Zhilian focuses on building a multi-modal interactive AI HMI (Human-Machine Interface) system, scenario-based AI Agent (intelligent agent), and the core architecture of AI OS (operating system); on the scenario definition side, Beidou Zhilian has built a full-link scenario system of "getting in the car - traveling - scenario services", covering high-frequency application scenarios in the entire travel process.
It is reported that the company's first AI scenario-based product is expected to be commercially launched next year, and in the future, it will gradually become standard for all products.
Relying on the product matrix of "Automotive Intelligence + Beidou Communication and Navigation" and the AI technology layout, Beidou Zhilian is accelerating its global expansion and building a business network covering the world's core markets.
Currently, Beidou Zhilian's influence has radiated to regions such as Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, and the Middle East. It has not only established business and manufacturing centers in strategic locations such as Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia, but also exceeded 1 million units/sets in overseas product shipments.
However, Beidou Zhilian does not plan to stop there. "Beidou Zhilian will continue to deepen the dual-drive strategy of 'Automotive Intelligence + Beidou Communication and Navigation', and its medium- and long-term goal is to become one of the top ten global suppliers in the industry." Hua Weicheng said. To support this strategic blueprint, Beidou Zhilian is trying to build an overseas full-chain service system covering R & D, production, sales, and service. Through local operation and global collaboration, it will continuously improve the response efficiency of the overseas market and customer service capabilities, and empower the intelligent upgrade of the global automotive industry with technological innovation and full-scenario services.