en.Wedoany.com Reported - Japanese autonomous driving startup Turing Inc. has secured an investment from AMD Ventures and begun running its AI systems on AMD chips, aiming to reduce reliance on industry giant Nvidia. The Tokyo-based company plans to deploy its autonomous driving software in consumer vehicles and robotaxis by 2028.
Turing initially built its systems using Nvidia hardware, a common practice in the industry. Currently, about 10% of its AI training workload has been shifted to AMD graphics chips. AMD, based in Santa Clara, California, like Nvidia, offers two resources that Turing values: a second supplier option and lower costs. This move reflects a broader industry trend seeking alternatives to Nvidia chips. Cost is a core factor, as autonomous driving development requires substantial capital investment, and more affordable computing power provides a practical competitive advantage for smaller companies. AMD Ventures has joined Turing's shareholder list, though neither party disclosed the investment amount. AMD has also recently invested in British autonomous driving company Wayve, expanding its presence in the field.
Turing is not a first mover in the market. Chief Financial Officer Masato Morishima stated that while the company appears to be a latecomer, it believes it can achieve success with greater cost efficiency. He noted that the development cycle for new vehicle models is three to five years, limiting the impact of the time lag. "The pace of technology adoption can be extremely slow," he added. Competitors are active, with Nissan, Wayve, and Uber partners planning to pilot robotaxi services in Tokyo by the end of this year. U.S. company Nuro is also testing on Japanese streets. Turing has conducted its own trials, completing a 30-minute driving test in suburban Tokyo last year and repeating validation in busier traffic areas.
By industry standards, Turing's funding is modest. After completing its Series A round, the company raised $79 million through equity and debt financing, with a valuation of approximately $600 million. This amount is far below the funding scales of Asian competitors and significantly lags behind the valuations of Western robotaxi companies. For co-founder and CEO Issei Yamamoto, this is about the future of Japan's automotive industry. "Cars are a very important industry for Japan. If Japan ultimately loses this industry, we will have nothing left to export." He believes autonomous driving technology will define the next generation of automotive manufacturing. Cheaper chips are how this Japanese latecomer plans to stay competitive. For AMD, every design win from Nvidia is a success.
