Belgian-American startup Aidoptation secures €20 million to scale autonomous driving from racetrack to mobility and defence
Belgian-American startup Aidoptation has secured €20 million in additional financing to accelerate the development and industrialization of its AI-driven autonomous systems, demonstrating significant progress in European tech innovation. The funding, involving both public and private investment, underscores the growing interest in autonomous driving technologies with diverse applications across multiple sectors. This investment highlights Europe's commitment to fostering cutting-edge technology and reducing dependencies in critical areas. The funding round includes contributions from various sources: €10 million from SFPIM, €5 million from John Cockerill Defence, and €2.5 million each from Ethias Ventures and Belfius Bank & Insurance. Aidoptation, a spin-off from the Indy Autonomous Challenge, develops EdgeDrive, an autonomous driving technology reaching Technology Readiness Level 6 to 7 for passenger vehicles. Its core product is designed for high-speed autonomous driving with highway-speed capability above 90 km/h. Aidoptation's technology has dual-use applications in commercial automotive, police and first-responder vehicles, and defense. The new capital will support research and development, industrialization of technologies such as EdgeDrive, and strategic partnerships. This investment strengthens the NATO-aligned innovation, reduces dependency risks in critical autonomous technologies, and reinforces the Belgian and European defense-industrial base. Founded in 2025 and headquartered at DronePort in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, Aidoptation previously secured a €5 million Seed funding round in February. This new investment round will enable further expansion and solidify its position in the rapidly evolving autonomous driving sector.
To provide multilingual access, this article summary was automatically generated.
Source Information
European Alternatives You Might Like
Mangopay
Mangopay is a payment infrastructure provider specializing in payments for marketplaces and platforms. It offers virtual wallet technology for managing funds, enabling features such as split payments, multi-currency support, and KYC/AML compliance. Key functionalities include automated payouts, transaction monitoring, and customizable payment flows. This service is primarily aimed at businesses that manage marketplaces, crowdfunding platforms, and sharing economy models and require complex payment solutions. Mangopay distinguishes itself by offering a flexible and scalable payment solution specifically designed for platform-based business models, allowing them to control cash flows and streamline payment processes.
Scaleway
Scaleway is a European cloud computing provider offering a range of services, including servers, storage, and networking solutions. Key features include bare metal servers, virtual machines, object storage, and managed Kubernetes. It's suitable for developers, startups, and businesses seeking cloud infrastructure for web applications, data storage, and various other workloads. Scaleway distinguishes itself through competitive pricing and a focus on European data sovereignty, with data centers in France and the Netherlands.