By Riley Kaminer
Boca Raton-based Guident is on a mission to build the next-generation platform for autonomous/electric vehicle operators and manufacturers to remotely monitor and control their fleets.
Since we last caught up with them in 2022, the company has made significant strides in bringing this vision to reality. Top of the list: They won the Teleoperation portion of an RFP with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to integrate with one of their autonomous vehicles. Already, the company has started integrating their software into the vehicles, additionally building a Remote Monitor and Control Center (RMCC) in Jacksonville.
“This showcases the scalability and adaptability of Guident’s technology,” Founder and CEO Harald Braun said of the project’s prospects. He told Refresh Miami that this project is just one of many more in the pipeline, explaining that Guident has an LOI signed with the Boca Raton Innovation Campus to develop autonomous shuttle services. Guident has just moved its main office to BRIC, keeping its previous office as well, which is a hangar where the startup can put vehicles and do large-scale R&D.
Braun emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships in Guident’s expansion. The company is collaborating with two autonomous vehicle manufacturers, focusing on integrating its software for full autonomy. This multi-edge approach to sales, combining direct and indirect sales models, underpins Guident’s growth strategy. Equally, the company’s workforce – consisting of 15 employees in South Florida, including talent from local universities – highlights its commitment to fostering talent and innovation in our region.
At the heart of Guident’s future is its emphasis on software development and research & development efforts. Braun highlighted the collaboration between experienced business leaders and young, innovative minds in driving the company’s progress. “Just recently a board member said we have more PhDs in the company than I have in my hospital,” said Braun.
Just when you might have thought that Guident’s ambitions are merely terrestrial – Braun underscored that the company’s aiming for out-of-this-world innovation. On top of pioneering autonomous vehicle software, it is also venturing into space communication.
With a grant for space communication technology development, the company aims to connect vehicles to satellites. “That will significantly enhance connectivity and reduce latency,” Braun asserted. This initiative, in collaboration with Israeli and Florida-based companies, represents Guident’s ambition to lead in the autonomous driving technology space.
Braun, who was formerly CEO of Siemens, believes that consumer attitudes towards autonomous driving are evolving, with global energy concerns and the shift towards electric vehicles playing a critical role. In his view, Guident is at the forefront of addressing these changes, leveraging disruptive technology and off-the-shelf hardware solutions to meet the demands of the future.
South Florida plays a major role in this future vision. “I’m very happy that you can recruit people to come to work in Boca,” he said, noting that this was not always the case.
This pipeline of talent, in Braun’s estimation, will ensure Guident’s success. “We’re not a one-trick pony – we see that the industry is developing and we are agile enough to adapt to the things we see.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- Guident is making autonomous vehicles safer, with a human touch
- Your order? “OnMyWay!” thanks to MAVI’s in-car shopping solution
- It’s electric! Miami mobility innovation on display at CoMotion
- New autonomous vehicle remote monitoring and control center lands in Boca Raton
- Meet the young Miami startup enabling autonomous drones
- Pioneering the future of geospatial intelligence from Miami to outer space with Space-Eyes
