A developer of autonomous driving technology, Turing Inc., has recently announced that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) investment arm, AMD Ventures, has become one of its investors. Furthermore, the company has started integrating AMD's AI accelerators into its systems.
This five-year-old Japanese startup is in the process of expanding its technological capabilities as it prepares for commercial deployment. Company executives revealed in an interview that since its inception, Turing has relied on NVIDIA (NVDA) hardware for AI training and inference. However, approximately 10% of its AI training workload has now been shifted to AMD's Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).
AMD, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is located just a short distance from NVIDIA. Executives stated that adopting AMD chips not only helps diversify the supply chain but also leads to significant cost reductions.
Turing's Chief Financial Officer, Masato Morishima, commented, "We have made substantial technological progress and have much more to demonstrate to potential automotive partners. Moving forward, we need to intensify our focus on commercialization." The company aims to launch its software solutions for the consumer market and robotaxi services as early as 2028.
The decision to utilize AMD GPUs is part of a strategy to ensure price competitiveness in the capital-intensive field of autonomous driving. Notably, a collaboration between Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY), UK-based AI startup Wayve Technologies, and Uber (UBER) plans to initiate a robotaxi pilot program in Tokyo by the end of this year, positioning them as a primary competitor for Turing in the domestic Japanese market.
Turing successfully completed a 30-minute test drive in a Tokyo suburb last year and has since expanded testing to other, more congested areas across Japan. Company leaders believe that while their market entry might be later than some competitors, the typical three to five-year development cycle for new vehicle models means this timing gap will not create a substantial competitive disadvantage.
Morishima added, "The adoption of this technology is likely to be very gradual. We may appear to have started later, but we are confident we can achieve our goals in a more cost-effective manner."
Turing also announced it has raised an additional $79 million through a combination of equity and debt, building upon its Series A funding round completed last year. The specific investment amount from AMD Ventures was not disclosed. According to sources familiar with the matter, this latest funding round values Turing at approximately $600 million.
Turing's co-founder and CEO, Issei Yamamoto, stated, "The automotive industry is critically important for Japan. If this sector were to eventually leave Japan, we would lose a vital export pillar. Autonomous driving is the key battleground for the future. For now, at least, the most advanced technology in this field is in our hands—at least within Japan."
Comments