Automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has invested $15m in CloudCar, the US-based developer of a cloud services platform for use in vehicles.
CloudCar has built a machine learning-equipped platform that can be used by carmakers to make the information and entertainment systems in their vehicles more intuitive, by adding features like voice activation.
The technology is set to be first used in Jaguar Land Rover’s forthcoming I-Pace model, the company’s first electric vehicle.
Hanno Kirner, Jaguar Land Rover’s executive director of corporate strategy, said: “This represents an important step in developing connected car technology.
“CloudCar has been working with premium manufacturers on some of the most exciting opportunities and challenges in the fields of machine learning and infotainment.
“This investment is integral to Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicle technology program: but the program also presents an invaluable opportunity for other automotive manufacturers to get involved.”
CloudCar had previously raised $11.5m in a 2012 series A round closed while it was still in stealth mode. Although it has not revealed the identities of its earlier investors, the company’s board members include representatives of Bay Partners, Passport Capital and Playground Global.