DeepRoute.ai, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving technology startup, has raised $100 million from Great Wall Motor. The startup aims to obtain its automated driving systems in as many vehicles in China before Tesla takes off next year, according to a Reuters report.

DeepRoute has not publicly disclosed the name of its automaker, but reports in Chinese media including a press releaseshow Great Wall Motor. The automaker is one of China’s largest, with new vehicle sales rising 970 612 during the first 10 months of this year. GWM’s presence in Europe is also growing more and more, as it works with BMW to produce the next Mini EV hatchback.

Alibaba-backed DeepRoute initially pursued R&D and development of Level 4 robotaxi, but in 2022 the company shifted its strategy to focus on producing Level 2+ and Level 3 autonomous technologies. (The SAE defines Level 4 systems as those that can drive themselves under certain conditions without needing a human to take over. Levels 2+ and 3 are driver assistance systems that require a human to pay attention and take over when the system asks.)

A DeepRoute spokesperson told TechCrunch that the startup will use the money to develop end-to-end visual-language action models that can directly interpret visual and linguistic inputs to make step-free driving decisions. distinct elements necessary for perception, planning and control. DeepRoute also plans to use the funds to explore possibilities for future robotaxi business globally and to collaborate with more automakers.

The latter goal seems to be the startup’s priority, especially as Tesla’s driver assistance system, called Full Self-Driving (FSD), prepares to launch in China and Europe in the first quarter of 2025. China has lifted some restrictions on Tesla vehicles in April, paving the way for the automaker to deploy FSD, which isn’t actually fully autonomous, but performs some automated driving tasks in cities and on highways.

DeepRoute is now working to install its own ADAS in about 200,000 cars in China by the end of 2025, CEO Maxwell Zhou told Reuters. This represents a 10-fold increase compared to the 20,000 vehicles in which its technology is deployed today.

The first vehicle model equipped with the DeepRoute system, which has not yet been made public, was launched in August. Zhou said the technology would be available on two additional models, including one co-owned by Geely and Mercedes-BenzThis year.

DeepRoute charges automakers a per-car technology licensing fee and collects data that it uses to train its AI to handle more complex traffic situations.

This article was originally published on November 4 at 9:11 a.m. PT. It has been updated to include more information about DeepRoute’s funder and goals.