Momenta enters the self-driving chip game challenging NVIDIA and Qualcomm

The world of autonomous driving is dominated by a few household names. When you look under the hood of a vehicle's advanced safety systems, you'll likely find silicon from giants like NVIDIA or Qualcomm. But a new name is stepping into the ring, and it's promising to shake things up. Autonomous driving technology company Momenta has officially activated its first self-developed computer chip, a crucial piece of hardware now undergoing testing in actual vehicles.

By developing its own chip, Momenta is moving from being a software company to a one-stop shop for carmakers. This "full-stack" approach, providing both the brains (software) and the brawn (hardware), allows for tighter integration and greater control over cost and performance. This puts Momenta in the same league as competitors like Horizon Robotics, which also offers a combined software and hardware package for the increasingly complex systems in modern EVs.

Momenta isn't being shy about its ambitions. The company has stated its new chip is designed to compete directly with the industry's top performers, specifically NVIDIA's Orin-X and Qualcomm's 8650 chips. These are the processors that power the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in many of today's most sophisticated electric cars.

Sources indicate Momenta designed its chip's hardware connections to be very similar to those of the Qualcomm 8650. This means car manufacturers could potentially swap in Momenta's chip without needing a major redesign of their vehicle's electronic circuit boards, simplifying and speeding up adoption.

The company's primary target is not just performance, but price. Momenta is reportedly aiming to drive the cost of a complete urban assisted driving solution down to an astonishing RMB 5,000, or about $700. If successful, this could democratize advanced safety features, making technologies like navigating city streets autonomously available on more affordable, mainstream electric cars, not just high-end luxury models. Of course, hitting such a low price point is a tall order, but the ambition alone is attracting a lot of attention to Momenta.

While its new chip is being put through its paces, Momenta is already expanding its global footprint. The company is actively working with the electric vehicle brand IM Motors to bring its technology to cars sold in Germany, the United Kingdom, Thailand, and Australia.

The project for the German market is reportedly close to its "Start of Production" phase, and vehicles with Momenta's technology could be on European roads soon. The company has also partnered with Uber to deploy Robotaxi test vehicles on the streets of Munich, gathering valuable real-world data.

This international push highlights a unique gap in the market that Momenta wants to fill. Industry insiders note that when automakers want to sell EVs with advanced self-driving features overseas, their choices for technology partners are surprisingly limited. Established suppliers like Bosch are a safe bet due to their experience with regulatory compliance, but they have been slower to market with the most advanced solutions.

This has created an opening for agile companies like Momenta. In fact, its unique position has allowed it to secure development contracts with automakers worth over RMB 100 million ($14 million) for certain overseas projects.

Via