10 Self-driving vehicle companies to watch in 2019

These companies are leading the way towards a future of autonomous vehicles.

Homegrown automotive and technology players such as Magna and BlackBerry QNX appreciate the depth of talent pouring out of the top computer science and engineering programs of Ontario's world-class universities and colleges. Toronto is North America's fastest growing tech job market. Ottawa has the highest concentration of tech talent on the continent. And Waterloo, home to a university revelled as the second leading source of computer engineers to Silicon Valley, is now luring capital and talent from around the globe. Add to that the province's ambitious Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) initiative, part of the recently announced Driving Prosperity Plan, and it's no wonder Ontario is the answer for innovative companies looking to reshape transportation and usher in a safer, cleaner future.

Here are ten companies developing technologies in every facet of the driverless revolution, from machine vision algorithms to predictive maintenance and AI for weather safety – how very Canadian!

OTTO Motors

Not all self-driving vehicles are being designed for the roads. Waterloo-based OTTO Motors is a global leader in self-driving vehicles that automate and optimize material transport in factories and warehouses. Some of their global customers include GE Healthcare and Toyota.

Invision AI

Running complex machine vision algorithms in real-time for self-driving applications requires a lot of compute power. This Toronto based start-up is developing AI software that runs directly on edge devices, enabling situational insights without expensive hardware or cloud uploads.

Pitstop

Toronto and Waterloo-based Pitstop is using AI for predictive maintenance of vehicles. In a future of smart mobility with different autonomous vehicle types sharing the roads, Pitstop will provide transportation and fleet companies with real-time data on the status of their vehicles.

Darwin AI

Deep learning networks are finding automotive applications in everything from computer vision to speech recognition. Waterloo-based DarwinAI uses techniques honed by professors at the University of Waterloo to help explain and optimize how deep neural networks perform. They were recently recognized as a Top Ten Startup at AutoMobility LA 2018.

iNAGO

Based in Toronto and Tokyo, iNAGO is a leading provider of intelligent conversational assistants for automotive, mobile and the home. They have had a long run of success in the Japanese market working with major automotive and technology companies and are now poised for success in North America.

Ecopia

Self-driving vehicles situate themselves in the world through their position on very high-definition maps as well as various sensors which validate their location. Toronto and Waterloo based start-up Ecopia is using AI to build HD Vector Maps for various uses, including to help imagine novel mobility and transportation solutions.

Evolved Vehicle Environments (EVE)

Personalization. Lifestyle. Connectivity. These are some of the buzz-words in the auto industry to describe how people are going to relate to their vehicles in the future. Ottawa based EVE is already working with Tesla and Subaru to allow consumers to customize their car interface to seamlessly integrate with everything from their email to their home thermostat.

TribalScale

Toronto's TribalScale is a global innovation partner to major automotive clients. The company also recently launched a Venture Studio which is co-creating start-ups in collaboration with Fortune 500 companies. Two of these start-ups, Troupe AI and Dashero, are already attracting considerable industry attention.

Pantonium

Pantonium is a Toronto start-up specializing in autonomous route optimization for public transit and smart mobility. They recently launched one of North America's first on-demand public transit pilots in Belleville, Ontario where city buses are picking up customers dynamically using an app rather than following a fixed route. Ridership has increased 300% since the pilot started and public transit agencies across the world are taking notice.

Weather Telematics

Approximately 75 million people in North America experience regular snow conditions in the winter months. Any company or service hoping to deploy self-driving vehicles will need to learn how to predict and respond to snow, ice and other weather challenges. Ottawa-based Weather Telematics analyzes weather, traffic and other data inputs in real-time, providing map-based alerts and insights to vehicles and fleets – no matter who's driving the car.

Think your company should be on this list? Please connect with our team.

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