TOKYO, Japan, January 20, 2022 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that, in December 2021, the company invested in U.S. (California)-based Helm.ai to strengthen its software technology development in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision*1 technologies. Helm.ai has key strengths in the area of AI-based image recognition technologies advanced through unsupervised learning.
Helm.ai is an AI software startup established in November 2016, and Honda and Helm.ai have been working in collaboration since 2019 through Honda Xcelerator*3, a global open innovation program of Honda. Honda invested in Helm.ai to strengthen value creation in the efforts to make mobility products more intelligent and to generate greater achievements more quickly. The financing will further strengthen the relationship between the two companies and accelerate development of original solutions for Honda that combine Honda technologies and AI technologies of Helm.ai.
Honda will continue offering highly-competitive and highly-attractive products and services to its customers by establishing relationships through the Honda Xcelerator program with companies which have cutting-edge technologies in various areas.