Automated vehicle inspection expert, DeGould, has secured $6m ($8.2m) in its third-round funding to move forward with the development and supply of its automated vehicle inspection systems.
For eight years DeGould has been capturing high-resolution images and using AI algorithms to deliver vehicle condition reporting.
The latest company to invest in DeGould is Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW). The global provider of ocean and land-based finished vehicle logistics said it was testing DeGould’s technology at the UK port of Southampton, with plans to roll it out to other locations.
- ”The technology has allowed us to engage in a more insightful and holistic discussion focused on improving the overall quality of the supply chain with key customers,” said a spokesperson for WW.
Among the advantages WW identified were that factory and transport issues leading to any damage were quickly identified and remedied and that automation of process eliminated bottlenecks during the receiving of the vehicles.
- ”[It also] allows us to engage in campaigns beyond inspection, as requested by the customers, by creating a high-resolution digital photograph record of the vehicle [because] sometimes the factory is not sure what external features a vehicle may have when it sends it to the port,” said the spokesperson.
Ed Jones, CEO at DeGould, said the company was excited by the growth opportunity ahead and especially pleased that Wallenius Wilhelmsen was in on the journey. “They have been a really supportive partner and we look forward to working together even more closely to strengthen our leading position in automated vehicle inspections.”
The company’s latest product, the new Auto-compact system, uses nine cameras to capture ultra-high-resolution images together with five analysis cameras detecting vehicle damage. Vehicles do not have to come to a standstill for the scans to take place and the inspection unit can be set up in a variety of locations because of its more compact build.
“We continue to digitise critical components of our finished vehicle logistics processes and, the investment in DeGould is an important milestone in our strategy,” says Mike Hynekamp, Wallenius Willhelmsen’s executive vice-president and chief operations officer for logistics services. “We believe investing in DeGould creates significant value for our mutual current and future customers by enhancing our capabilities in bringing end-to-end, integrated supply chain solutions to market,” said Hynekamp.
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