Baraja Raises Funds to Accelerate the Development of Spectrum-Scan

Baraja has raised $31 million (USD) in new funding round to help accelerate the creation of its innovative Spectrum-Scan, LiDAR technology

FREMONT, CA : Baraja has secured $31 million (USD) in new funding round to help accelerate the creation of its innovative Spectrum-Scan, LiDAR technology. Barajas LiDAR sensors outperform and are more dependable than legacy LiDAR systems, allowing for a faster and safer rollout of autonomous vehicles. Blackbird Ventures led the current funding round, which includes a new strategic investment from Hitachi Construction Machinery.

Hitachi's strategic investment follows a two-year collaboration to validate Barajas Spectrum-Scan sensors in real-world settings, demonstrating the technology's durability in harsh environments. The investment would expand the sensor's use in mining, construction, and industrial vehicles and road-testing the products for future autonomous vehicles.

Spectrum-Scan, LiDAR to enable Level 4 self-driving vehicles

The Barajas Spectrum-Scan, LiDAR is designed to provide the long-term dependability, resolution, range, and automotive-grade features necessary for Level 4 self-driving.

The ground-breaking technology uses the wavelength properties of light to direct lasers through a prism to help detect objects at a distance, revolutionizing environment scanning for autonomous vehicles. Traditional LiDAR systems have been hindered by factors such as heat, shock, and vibration, but Spectrum-Scan" technology is more immune to them. As a result, a more accurate, affordable LiDAR device with long-term reliability and outstanding resolution is now available. It can be used in a broader range of environments, including highways, city streets, mines, and ports.

"Legacy LiDAR systems have been hampered by poor performance with limits on range, resolution and reliability," said Federico Collarte, CEO and Co-Founder of Baraja. "Our Spectrum-Scan "¢ LiDAR has proven reliability in the field, which has been recognized by partners such as Hitachi, one of the world's most innovative machine manufacturers. This latest capital and the partnership with Hitachi will also help us advance our mission to help make self-driving vehicles an everyday reality."

Blackbird Ventures and Hitachi investments validate Barajas opportunity.

Returning investor Blackbird Ventures has expanded its investment in Barajas, indicating its continued confidence in the company's superior technical abilities and product roadmap.

Hideshi Fukumoto, Vice President, Executive Officer, and CTO, Hitachi Construction Machinery; President of Research & Development Group; and President of Client Solutions Group, said: "Spectrum-Scan" ¢ LiDAR is a must-have technology providing better autonomous sensing solutions for mining customers who demand increasingly higher safety and production efficiency. We are delighted to be working with Baraja, a company with leading-edge technology in this field."