Investor attention may have turned elsewhere in recent weeks, but the autonomous vehicle race is still quietly churning behind the scenes. In just the last few days, for example, Finland took a significant step toward approving key self-driving software, and privately held Terawatt Infrastructure secured $300 million in debt financing to expand driverless vehicle infrastructure, among other developments.
Vehicle sensing technology is critical to the development of this industry, and there is still intense competition among firms developing light detection and ranging (lidar) tools, perception systems, and related components. Many of these companies are on the smaller side and will rely on the success of their R&D to continue growing, making them at least moderately risky ventures. However, the potential for a breakout moment is also strong, and the names below may be top contenders.
