University of Tokyo Edge Capital has invested in autonomous driving technology developer Tier IV, based on research at multiple Japanese universities.

Tier IV, a Japan-based autonomous driving technology developer, has raised ¥3bn ($28.4m) in funding from investors including University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTec), the institution’s venture capital arm, Nikkei reported today.

The round also featured telecoms firm KDDI and consumer electronics producer Sony, through its Innovation Fund, as well as venture capital firm Jafco.

Founded in 2015, Tier IV is developing an open-source operating system (OS) to power driverless vehicles, called Autoware. The OS has been adopted by more than 100 companies, including Sony, car maker Yamaha Motor and chipmaker Nvidia.

The funding will go towards collaborations with industry partners to test Autoware both in Japan and internationally, and to develop regional transportation systems that rely on low-speed autonomous cars.

KDDI will collaborate with Tier IV on self-driving tests using 5G mobile phone technology, while Sony said it may cooperate through its semiconductor and non-life insurance divisions.

Tier IV is based on research conducted at Keio University, University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Nagasaki University and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

The company launched with $17,400 in seed capital, though further details could not be ascertained.