DeepRoute.ai, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving technology startup, has raised $100 million in funding from an unidentified Chinese automaker, according to a Reuters report. The investment comes as the company aims to deploy its automated driving systems in hundreds of thousands of vehicles in China before Tesla launches its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in the country next year.

The funding will help DeepRoute.ai accelerate its plans to increase its technology deployment from 20,000 vehicles currently to around 200,000 cars in China by the end of 2025, a 10x increase. The company's CEO, Maxwell Zhou, told Reuters that the first vehicle model with DeepRoute's system launched in August, and two more models, including one co-owned by Geely and Mercedes-Benz, will be introduced this year.

DeepRoute.ai's technology licensing fee-based business model, which also involves collecting data to train its AI for more complex traffic situations, positions the company as a significant player in China's autonomous driving market. With Tesla set to launch its FSD technology in China and Europe in 2025, DeepRoute.ai's aggressive expansion plans could give it a crucial head start in the market.