UAE, Dubai — Derq, the leading provider of real-time AI-powered intelligent transportation system (ITS) solutions, today announced strategic investments from e& capital; the venture capital arm of e&, a global technology group headquartered in the UAE; and AT&T Ventures, the venture capital arm of AT&T, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.
The investments from e& capital and AT&T Ventures will be used to expand Derq’s activities in the US, GCC, and beyond, and accelerate the company’s investments in product development and growing its intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
“Derq is a global innovator, and our investment is a testament to our commitment to supporting visionary businesses that move the world forward. By backing Derq, we are not only investing in a company at the forefront of intelligent transportation technology but also contributing to the development of innovative solutions that will benefit communities globally,” said Kushal Shah, Managing Director of e& capital. “We believe in Derq’s vision of creating safer and smarter road networks. Their AI-powered ITS solutions are perfectly aligned with e& capital’s strategic focus on investing in companies that are disrupting industries through emerging technologies like AI, connectivity, and IoT.”
“We’re excited to make this strategic investment in Derq, a significant innovator in intelligent transportation solutions. Their solutions are transforming how cities and industries approach mobility, safety and efficiency,” said Vikram Taneja, Head of AT&T Ventures. “We look forward to collaborating with their team to drive forward innovations that will shape smarter, more connected infrastructure.”
Derq’s offerings address the immediate safety and efficiency needs of today’s roads and lays the groundwork for a safer and more efficient connected transportation ecosystem in the future. By integrating state-of-the-art AI and IoT with connected infrastructure and sensing technologies, Derq’s platform provides road owners and operators with critical road safety insights, innovative traffic control capabilities, and advanced connected vehicles applications.
“We are thrilled to have the support of e& and AT&T, two global telecommunication and technology leaders,” said Dr. Georges Aoude, co-founder and CEO of Derq. “These strategic relationships not only validate the progress made to date but empower us to scale our operations and enhance our ability to deliver next-generation intelligent transportation solutions to customers around the world.”
To date, Derq has more than 25 active deployments in 16 states across the United States as well as several international deployments. The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced Derq as a winner of the agency’s Intersection Safety Challenge as well as was named Derq among its Allies in Action as Derq joins the country’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) and U.S Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s call to action to reverse the spike in crashes and traffic-related fatality rates.
“We have bold plans to harness digital infrastructure and usher in a future where our roads are safer and more efficient,” said Aoude. “We are well-positioned to continue leading this charge and develop and deploy intelligent transportation solutions at scale.”
About Derq
Derq, an award-winning MIT spin-off and industry leading provider of real-time AI-based intelligent transportation system solutions, is dedicated to revolutionizing road safety and efficiency worldwide. Through its proprietary and patented technology, Derq provides cities and road agencies with an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that powers advanced analytics and connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) applications to help them improve road safety and better manage traffic. Derq has been recognized as an industry leader by the WEF and has received a number of awards including the 2022 Global ITS World Congress Innovation Award, AI company of the year at SXSW 2019, and Top Road Safety Innovator for Vision Zero in 2020 by Together for Safer Roads. For more information, visit derq.com.
Media Contact
Katelyn Davis, on behalf of Derq
media@derq.com
About e& capital
e& capital is the investment arm of e& that invests in the ideas and people that will build a better and brighter digital future. It supports innovative tech businesses, helping them to grow and enabling significant advances that move the world forward.
e& capital invests in startups that dare to disrupt and challenge how things are done because they believe in something better. It works with brave entrepreneurs to turn their big ideas into tomorrow’s leading companies. e& capital will use its deep investment and venture capital expertise to transform all technology sectors, with a focus on fintech, gaming, small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), software as a service (SaaS), HealthTech, EdTech, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and Web 3.0.
Its vision is to stimulate the technology investment ecosystem in the region through strategic partnerships and collaborations with global and regional venture capitalists.
To learn more about e& capital, please visit https://www.eand.com/en/capital.html.
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