Applied Intuition: The Future of Vehicle Autonomy

Premji Invest & Applied Intuition Partnership

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We are excited to be investing in Applied Intuition’s Series F and to be partnering with founders Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig as they re-envision how the world builds autonomous vehicles and intelligent machines. Applied Intuition is pushing the boundaries of how we develop and deploy autonomy, and we believe this team and technology will accelerate the safe adoption of vehicle intelligence across every domain.

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‍Massive ROI Engine Driven by Simulation

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Bringing a self-driving system to life requires testing an enormous number of scenarios, far more than physical road testing alone could ever cover. Applied Intuition's platform allows automakers and other mobility companies to test advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle (AV) programs in virtual environments instead of relying solely on costly physical prototyping. By using software-in-the-loop simulation, engineers can simulate millions of miles worth of driving in hours, subjecting their software to edge cases in a virtual environment, which not only accelerates development timelines but also improves safety and reliability.

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Traditional automakers have embraced this simulation-driven approach because virtual testing saves immense time and cost. Instead of building multiple prototypes or orchestrating elaborate track tests, they can iterate in software, which reduces expenses and risks by orders of magnitude. Moreover, many OEMs simply could not develop this tooling in-house at the required scale. While leading AV companies like Waymo or GM’s Cruise built internal simulation tooling, those systems aren’t available to others. Applied Intuition fills that gap with an off-the-shelf solution that any automaker or autonomy program can use. In an industry where safety is paramount and time-to-market is critical, external simulation tooling has become essential.

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Modern, Comprehensive Platform that Leaves Competitors in the Dust

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Historically, developing and validating autonomous systems meant cobbling together a patchwork of siloed tools: one for vehicle dynamics, another for sensor modeling, yet another for scenario generation, and so on. This fragmented toolkit was cumbersome and inefficient. Applied Intuition took a very different approach by building a unified platform that brings all these capabilities under one roof. The company’s end-to-end software suite covers the entire autonomy development lifecycle, from scenario simulation and large-scale cloud testing to data products and hardware-in-the-loop validation. All of these pieces are designed to work seamlessly together, so engineering teams can focus on building great autonomous functionality instead of integrating disparate tools.

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A key differentiator is Applied Intuition’s forward-looking, software-first philosophy. Traditional testing heavily relied on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups, i.e., physically hooking up real car components or test rigs, which limited scale and speed. Applied Intuition has championed the industry’s shift toward software-in-the-loop (SIL), harnessing cloud computing to run thousands of tests in parallel without being bottlenecked by physical hardware. This approach allows for much more rapid iteration at lower cost. Importantly, Applied Intuition’s platform hasn’t forgotten the real world. It still integrates with HIL systems when needed, but its strength is enabling customers to do the bulk of development and validation in simulation first, then smoothly transition to on-vehicle tests. Vendors such as Valeo, NI, and Ambarella have partnered with Applied Intuition for ADAS simulation, which contributes to a powerful network effect over time.

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Applied Intuition's platform encompasses everything an autonomy engineer might need, including scenario generation and management, sensor simulation, vehicle dynamics modeling, cloud-native scalable simulation, data and analytics tools, vehicle software integration, and much more. By delivering this comprehensive suite, Applied Intuition has effectively become a one-stop shop for autonomy development.

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Off the Beaten Path: Taking Autonomy Off-Road and On-Mission

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While Applied Intuition started by tackling the challenges of self-driving cars, its vision was always far broader. Applied Intuition’s platform today powers autonomous system development across automotive, trucking, construction, mining, agriculture, and defense. Eighteen of the world’s top 20 automakers are already Applied Intuition customers, but the momentum doesn’t stop there. Companies building self-driving trucks, autonomous mining equipment, forklifts, warehouse robots, and even next-generation military vehicles have all turned to Applied Intuition’s tools. Few software companies can claim a customer base that ranges from Silicon Valley robotaxi startups to century-old Japanese truck manufacturers. Applied Intuition can.

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The company’s go-to-market strategy of forming deep strategic partnerships has accelerated its multi-industry expansion. For example, in trucking, Applied Intuition has a landmark partnership with Isuzu Motors to jointly develop Level 4 autonomous trucks, a multi-year alliance aimed at addressing driver shortages and improving logistics efficiency in Japan. More recently, TRATON Group (the parent of brands like Scania and MAN) chose Applied Intuition to integrate a software platform across its next-generation trucks, including an on-board vehicle OS and developer toolchain for over-the-air updates and fleet management. These are highly strategic relationships that embed Applied Intuition’s technology deeply into commercial trucking programs worldwide.

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Applied Intuition is also enabling autonomy for vehicles that operate in far more challenging environments than highways. In the off-road and heavy equipment sectors, the company’s software is used to develop autonomous mining trucks and construction machinery that must navigate rough, unstructured terrain safely. Perhaps most impressively, Applied Intuition has made significant inroads into the defense sector, where its simulation and autonomy products are now used for developing unmanned systems that can assist in military logistics, reconnaissance, and beyond. Applied Intuition has become a trusted, strategic partner enabling the next generation of autonomous vehicles, whether on the highway, on the job site, or on the battlefield.

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Applied Intuition's Horsepower Under the Hood

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Applied Intuition's incredible execution to date is underpinned by a world-class team. Founders Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig are a formidable duo who combine Silicon Valley tech savvy with deep automotive industry roots. The blend of software and automotive DNA in Applied Intuition's founding team set the cultural tone for the company as a sophisticated engineering-driven organization attuned to vehicle intelligence needs.

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The broader team at Applied Intuition is equally impressive. Culturally, Applied Intuition is highly product and engineering-centric. Over 80% of Applied Intuition's employees sit in R&D, a stat that is unheard of. The company has deliberately set an extremely high bar for talent. It has assembled a multidisciplinary group of engineers drawn from Google’s and Tesla’s autopilot teams, Waymo, NVIDIA, Bosch, Cruise, and other leading tech and automotive players. Moreover, the team's work ethic is unparalleled. Employees work entirely in the office, which runs counter to the Silicon Valley ethos of hybrid/remote work. This is a team that's clearly capable of solving some of the hardest technical problems in simulation and autonomy. In an industry where both AI prowess and domain knowledge are required, Applied Intuition’s talent pool provides a defensible advantage that is very hard to replicate.

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Ultimately, it’s the team behind Applied Intuition and the culture of innovation they’ve built that give us the most conviction in the company’s future. Qasar, Peter, and their team have demonstrated exceptional vision and execution, taking an idea and turning it into a critical backbone for an entire industry in less than a decade. Applied Intuition today sits at the intersection of two massive trends – the software-defined vehicle revolution and the rise of autonomy across sectors – and it is uniquely well-positioned on both fronts. We have strong conviction that this A+ team will continue to drive the industry forward and we are thrilled to be on this journey with them as they build the defining company of the autonomy era.