Aisin, Airbus, Intel, LG, SBI, Hella and SK Hynix all celebrated a win as AEye agreed to a reverse merger with CF Finance to list on Nasdaq at a $2bn valuation.

AEye, a US-based developer of autonomous vehicle vision systems backed by seven corporates, yesterday agreed to a reverse merger with special purpose acquisition company CF Finance Acquisition Corp III.

Existing backers financial services provider SBI Holdings, chipmaker Intel and automotive parts supplier Hella participated in a $225m private investment in public equity through respective vehicles Subaru-SBI Innovation Fund, Intel Capital and Hella Ventures.

They were joined by GM Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of carmaker General Motors, venture capital…

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast.