Oculii

01 / WHAT IT BUILT

What the company did

Oculii was a Dayton, Ohio-based AI company founded in 2013 and led by CEO Steven Hong. Its patented adaptive AI software increased the resolution of existing RF radar silicon by up to 100X, enabling radar perception with current production radar chips for significantly higher resolution, longer range (up to 400 meters), and greater accuracy — eliminating the need for specialized, high-cost, high-power radar chips. Its software ran on Ambarella's CVflow systems-on-chip and was engaged with 10 of the top 15 automotive tier 1s on software licensing, with commercial development contracts with OEM and AV companies including GM, Geely, and Great Wall Motors. It raised a $55 million funding round in May 2021 plus an investment from General Motors. In October 2021, Ambarella agreed to acquire Oculii for $307.5 million, expanding Ambarella's market into radar perception and sensor fusion; its Oculii-branded AI 4D imaging radar technology was later deployed in the 2023–2024 Lotus Eletre and 2024 Lotus Emeya vehicles.

03 / EVENT HISTORY

Events in the structured record

1. 2013
   Founded

   Oculii was founded in Dayton, Ohio, to develop adaptive AI software for radar perception.

2. 2021
   Raised $55M+

   Oculii closed a $55 million funding round in May 2021 and received a multimillion-dollar investment from GM in September.

3. 2021
   Acquired by Ambarella

   In October 2021, Ambarella agreed to acquire Oculii for $307.5 million, combining its camera technology with Oculii's radar stack.