AutonomyNow is a young Polish Deep Tech company creating advanced autonomous systems based on artificial intelligence (AI). In just 4 years, the company has gone from the accelerator of the Warsaw University of Technology to its own research and development center and production plant in Lublin, securing over €2.9 million in orders from automotive manufacturers. The company is one of the top three manufacturers of such solutions in the European market.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is a technology that assists drivers in safely operating their vehicles. According to data from insurance companies, active safety systems, such as automatic vehicle braking, reduce accidents by about 30-40%. Systems designed by AutonomyNow utilize AI algorithms to automatically detect pedestrians and cyclists around vehicles, accurately monitor current speed limits using proprietary Sensor Fusion algorithms, and continually check the driver’s state for drowsiness and distraction.
AutonomyNow is managed by experienced managers – Michał Wendeker and Konrad Kostrzewa. Michał is an expert in designing advanced technologies using systems engineering. He has implemented five innovative products for the automotive industry from concept to serial production. Konrad is a specialist in the area of machine learning and computer vision, as well as preparing a resilient supply chain and launching production.
“So far, we have tried not to talk widely about the company’s achievements. Our primary goal was to refine and verify the solution we are developing in terms of safety standards and homologation standards and successful implementation of technology in the market. At this moment we have contracted orders exceeding €2.9 million, the company’s revenues are growing at a rate of over 4,000% per year,” explains Michał Wendeker, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer at AutonomyNow.
After launching serial production, the company is not slowing down and is already working on the next generation of AI Driver systems enabling autonomous vehicle control under driver supervision. The person responsible for developing the AI Driver System, Jan Księżopolski, adds:
“We have a plan to implement a universal AI system for the automotive and defence industries. We are working on solutions that ensure the highest level of precision in detection and understanding of the environment thanks to our proprietary system architecture and advanced signal processing methods using custom data sets tailored to our applications.”
There are indications that the demand for AI systems in the automotive industry will only grow. According to the European Commission’s promoted “Vision: Zero” strategy, meaning a vision of accident-free roads, from July 7, 2024, every new heavy vehicle sold on the EU market must be equipped with new systems, meeting tightened safety standards such as driver attention monitoring and reverse warning and intelligent speed assistant function.
According to European Commission estimates, ADAS systems implemented on a larger scale have a chance to save the lives of over 10,000 people by 2030 in the EU alone. ADAS are considered by experts as a new generation of safety systems. This revolution can be compared to the introduction of seat belts or airbags. The potential to improve road safety is also recognized by other countries. According to expert predictions, similar regulations are expected to be introduced in the UK and US markets.
This is not the only AI-related project carried out in Poland, as evidenced by the global funding round of ElevenLabs, a company specializing in high-quality speech synthesis using AI. ElevenLabs became one of the first companies founded by Poles to become a unicorn, valued at over $1 billion.
Plans for AutonomyNow also do not end with current products for the automotive industry. Company specialists are working on the development of proprietary technology enabling the automation of military vehicles.
“We are thinking about developing technology in the Dual Use format, assuming the possibility of application in both civilian and military projects. Thanks to our technology, we plan to increase the safety and comfort of using vehicles, and ultimately we are developing applications enabling full automation under certain conditions,” summarized Michał Wendeker.
The AutonomyNow has so far been invested in by two VC funds: Carlson Evig Alfa and bValue of Maciej Balsewicz, as well as a group of private investors associated with Startup Excellence Club and Cobin Angels. The company was established in May 2020 as a joint venture of Michael Wendeker, Konrad Kostrzewa, and Konrad Sloniewski, as a result of the so-called joint venture of VERS and Veturai.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/polski-deep-tech-uruchamia-produkcje-seryjna-systemow-ai-dla-autobusow-10652
