Chinese motor software company Momenta expands its reach, relocating from China to Böblingen, Germany.
Momenta Expands to Germany to Boost Autonomous Driving Technology
Momenta, the Chinese autonomous driving software company, has announced its expansion to Böblingen, Germany. This move is aimed at accelerating the company's overseas footprint and engaging with strategic partners in the European automotive market.
Böblingen, a significant location in Germany's automotive and tech industry ecosystem, is home to major automotive players such as Mercedes-Benz, one of Momenta's key investors and collaborators. Being near Stuttgart, the city where Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are headquartered, provides Momenta with access to industry expertise, collaboration opportunities, and local regulatory environments crucial for testing and scaling autonomous driving technologies.
The company's expansion also aligns with BMW and Mercedes-Benz's digital and AI transformation strategies, as Momenta is working with these key German automakers and suppliers to tailor advanced driver-assistance systems and expand their software capabilities overseas.
Momenta's primary goal in Germany is to facilitate testing and deployment of its autonomous driving technology and robotaxi services, notably in Munich, in partnership with Uber. The company aims for European market entry and mass production delivery stages, such as with IM Motors.
The move to Böblingen also allows Momenta to train its software for German conditions, as road conditions and traffic rules in China are different from those in Germany. The company is using test drives in Böblingen to gather data for its AI, with thousands of driving situations being evaluated daily.
Gerhard Steiger, the chairman of Momenta in Böblingen, expressed high expectations for the company. Momenta has already gained significant traction in China, where it is well-represented and equips over 130 different vehicle models with software.
However, Yijing Xia, a Momenta employee, noted that the pace in Germany is slower than in China. For instance, overtaking on the right is not allowed in Germany, which is a significant difference from China's driving culture.
In conclusion, Momenta's move to Böblingen represents a strategic positioning to leverage local automotive industry strength, investor ties, and regulatory access to advance its autonomous driving software and hardware solutions in the competitive European market.
[1] TechCrunch. (2021, February 17). Momenta, the Chinese autonomous driving software startup, raises $100M series C. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/17/momenta-the-chinese-autonomous-driving-software-startup-raises-100m-series-c/
[2] TechCrunch. (2021, June 16). Uber teams up with Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta to launch robotaxis in Munich. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/16/uber-teams-up-with-chinese-autonomous-driving-startup-momenta-to-launch-robotaxis-in-munich/
[3] Xinhua. (2021, June 16). Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta expands operations to Germany. Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-06/16/c_139774564.htm
[4] Bloomberg. (2021, June 16). BMW, Mercedes-Benz Team Up With Chinese Autonomous-Driving Startup Momenta. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-16/bmw-mercedes-benz-team-up-with-chinese-autonomous-driving-startup-momenta
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