20200918 루미나 관련 뉴스 정리

1. 루미나 합병 뉴스

미국 라이다 전문 스타트업 루미나 테크놀로지스(Luminar Technologies)가 지난 24일(현지시간) 고어스 메트로펄러스(Gores Metropoulos)와 역합병(reverse merger)하고 1억 7천만달러(약 2017억원) 규모의 투자를 유치했다고 ‘더로봇 리포트’가 보도했다.

루미나는 이번 합병과 투자를 통해 풀스택 자동차 기술의 상업적 개발을 가속화하고 자사의 라이다 센서와 소프트웨어로 자율주행 트럭과 승용차의 대량 생산에 기여할 계획이다.

캘리포니아주 팔로 알토(Palo Alto)에 본사를 둔 루미나는 지난 2012년에 설립된 회사로, 레벨 3~5수준의 자율주행차에 요구되는 성능, 안전성, 비용 등을 충족하는 센서를 제공한다. 현재 350명 이상의 직원을 보유하고 있으며 세계 10대 자동차 회사 중 7개 회사와 제휴한 상황이다.

고어스 메트로펄러스는 기업인수목적회사(SPAC)로, 고어스 그룹 LLC(The Gores Group LLC)와 메트로펄러스(Metropoulos & Co)의 계열사가 후원하고 있다. 창업자 겸 회장인 ‘알렉 고어스(Alec Gores)’와 미국 투자가인 ‘딘 메트로펄러스(Dean Metropoulos)’는 기업가로서 65년 이상의 경력을 가지고 있으며, 각자 180개 이상의 포트폴리오 회사에 투자했다. 루미나는 합병이 완료되면 '레지어(LAZR)'라는 종목코드로 나스닥에 상장할 전망이다.

루미나의 하드웨어와 소프트웨어는 오는 2022년 차세대 소비자용 차량을 위한 볼보자동차의 글로벌 플랫폼에 통합돼 대량 생산에 들어갈 예정이다. 회사의 기술은 첨단운전자지원시스템(ADAS)을 능가하여 능동적인 차량 안전을 위한 새로운 벤치마크(Benchmark) 역할을 할 것으로 기대되고 있다.

루미나 창업자 겸 CEO인 ‘오스틴 러셀(Austin Russell)’은 “이런 이정표는 우리뿐 아니라 더 큰 자동차 산업에도 매우 중요하다”며 "우리는 8년 전 대부분 기술적으로나 상업적으로 실행 가능한 해결책이 없을 것이라고 생각했던 문제에 직면했다. 이를 해결하기 위해 처음부터 기술구축에 주력했고 글로벌 선도 자동차 업체들과 직접 제휴를 맺어 전 세계에 무엇이 가능한 지를 보여줬다”고 말했다. 이어 “기술과 자동차에 대해 경험이 많고 안전한 자율주행의 미래에 관해 우리와 비전을 공유하는 고어스 메트로펄러스와 장기적인 제휴를 맺음으로써 새로운 차세대 산업을 이끌 계획이다”라고 덧붙였다.

고어스 메트로펄러스 최고경영자(CEO) ‘알렉 고어스(Alec Gores)’는 “루미나는 자동차와 트럭의 자율주행 기술 분야를 선도하는 기업에 투자할 수 있는 드문 기회를 보여준다"며 "안전성과 성능에 관해 매우 엄격한 OEM 규격 조건을 충족하는 라이다 기술을 개발하는 오스틴과 같은 비전 있는 창업자와 제휴하게 돼 흥분된다”라고 말했다.

합작회사는 형식적인 기업가치 약 29억 달러(약 3조 4408억원), 주식가치 약 34억 달러(약 4조 341억원)의 기업으로 평가되고 있다. 루미나에 직접 투자되는 1억7천만 달러 규모의 자금은 알렉 고어스, 반투일 컴퍼니(Van Tuyl Companies), 피터틸(Peter Thiel), 볼보기술펀드(Volvo Cars Tech Fund), 크레센트 코브(Crescent Cove), 무어 스트라티직 벤처스(Moore Strategic Ventures), 닉 앤 질 우드먼(Nick & Jill Woodman), 벡토IQ(VectoIQ) 등이 지원하고 있다.

루미나는 지난해 7월 1억 달러를 유치해 자율주행차 기술에 상당한 자금을 투자했다. 이번 거래는 루미나와 고어스 메트로펄러스 이사회가 만장일치로 승인했으며, 규제와 주주 승인에 따라 올해 4분기에 마감될 것으로 예상되고 있다.

출처: www.irobotnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=22101

 

 

2. 삼성출진 연구팀 고용

 삼성(Samsung)이 개발한 자율주행 솔루션 '드라이브라인(DRVLINE)' 연구팀 출신 중 ADAS 기능을 담당했던 16명을 고용했다. 이 소프트웨어 팀과 함께 라이다 기반 ADAS와 레벨4 고속도로 자율주행 오퍼링을 출시할 계획이다.

출처: www.irobotnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=22101

 

3. 피터틸 투자

Driverless car startup Luminar Technologies Inc, backed by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, is going public via a $3.4bn merger with blank-check company Gores Metropoulos Inc, bolstering efforts to get its laser sensors onto the production lines of global automakers.
Investors in Gores Metropoulos cheered the deal, sending the entity’s shares up as much as 10% to $11.60 apiece, the biggest jump since March 2019. The stock traded at $11.49 in New York, giving the company a market value of $573mn.
The deal will be paid for with $400mn in cash from the blank-check company, as well as $170mn from other investors including Thiel, a unit of Volvo Car AB and GoPro Inc founder Nick Woodman, according to a statement that confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report.
Luminar is the latest entity to merge with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. The investment vehicles have gone mainstream this year, offering a faster route for startups seeking to go public without the scrutiny or risks of an initial public offering.
Led by 25-year-old chief executive officer Austin Russell, Luminar has emerged from a crowded startup field by bringing down the cost of lidar sensors, which bounce lasers off objects to guide vehicles. The cost of the sensors can run into the tens of thousands of dollars and has been a stumbling block for companies looking to compete in the self-driving car race.
In May, Volvo said it will use Luminar’s technology to enable hands-free highway driving in cars starting in 2022.
Russell said he chose to go public earlier than expected because, amid uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, the boom in blank-check company dealmaking offered a more secure way to access funds than an IPO.
“By the time this is over, we will have brought in north of $500mn — that allows us to make these kinds of strategic investments and additionally accelerate our programmes and timelines and customer adoption,” Russell said by phone.
Luminar is aiming to first sell its sensors for advanced-safety features in passenger cars and driverless trucks, rather than fully autonomous fleets of robotaxis, Russell said.
Gores Metropoulos is backed by Alec Gores’ Los Angeles-based private equity firm Gores Group LLC and Dean Metropoulos, a veteran investor in the consumer space.
Gores, who’s the CEO of Gores Metropoulos, said Austin developed the only lidar technology that meets the most stringent safety specifications of carmakers, and he did so from scratch. “Luminar is well-positioned to dominate the autonomous landscape,” he added.
Luminar and its existing investors will end up keeping about 80% of the company as part of the deal, and Gores Metropoulos will own about 11%, Russell said.
Gores Metropoulos raised $400mn, including so-called greenshoe shares, in an initial public offering in February 2019.
Auto tech companies have benefited from the boom in blank-check deals, as investors who might have earlier favoured traditional IPOs now seek businesses with higher growth.
In June, another company that makes sensors used in self-driving vehicles, Velodyne Lidar Inc, announced a deal to merge with blank-check company Graf Industrial Corp.
After the deal closes, Luminar will be traded on the Nasdaq Select Market under the ticker LAZR.

출처: www.gulf-times.com/story/671671/Peter-Thiel-backed-Luminar-to-go-public-in-3-4bn-merger

 

4. 볼보 협력

Volvo Cars는 Luminar Technologies와의 파트너십을 강화하고 있습니다. 스웨덴 프리미엄 자동차 제조업체와 기술 회사는 더욱 긴밀한 협력을 통해 새로운 안전 및 기술 표준을 발전시키고 자율 주행을위한 길을 닦기를 원합니다.

2022 년부터 새로운 모듈 식 SPA 2 제품 아키텍처를 기반으로 할 차세대 볼보 모델은 이미 하드웨어 측면에서 준비되었으며 Luminar의 LiDAR 기술 (광 감지 및 거리 측정)을 사용할 것입니다. 레이저 펄스로 작동하는 센서는 차량 지붕에 통합되어 있습니다.

새로운 선택 사양 인 " 고속도로 파일럿 "은 적절한 프레임 워크 조건이 충족되는 경우 고속도로에서 자율 주행을 가능하게합니다. LiDAR 기술은 카메라 와 레이더 만으로는 할 수없는 고속 및 먼 거리의 복잡한 환경에서도 안전한 탐색과 장애물 및 기타 물체의 인식을위한 기반을 형성합니다 .

 

미래의 SPA 2 제품 아키텍처를 기반 으로 한 차량에는 자율 주행에 필요한 하드웨어가 장착되어 있으며 소프트웨어 및 법적 요구 사항이 허용하는 즉시 사용할 수 있습니다.

앞으로 차량의 소프트웨어는 더 많은 기능 영역이 포함될 수 있도록 "무선" 기능으로 업데이트 될 것입니다. 이 원칙은 이미 Tesla 차량에서 알려져 있습니다.

이 기술은 또한 미래의 운전자 지원 시스템 ( ADAS)을 개선 해야합니다. 이것이 볼보가 미래 모델의 표준으로 LiDAR 센서를 도입하려는 이유입니다.

Volvo Cars의 CTO (Chief Technology Officer) 인 Henrik Green 은“자율 주행은 책임감 있고 안전하게 구현하면 많은 생명을 구할 수 있습니다 . "우리 자동차가 미래에 스스로 안전한 결정을 내릴 수 있다면 그것은이 방향에서 중요한 단계가 될 것입니다."

 

Luminar 의 강력한 LiDAR 센서는 물체와 그 위치 를 정확하게 식별하기 위해 수백만 개의 레이저 광 펄스를 보냅니다. 이를 위해 주변을 3 차원으로 스캔 하고 인터넷 연결없이 임시 실시간지도를 생성합니다.

새로운“Highway Pilot”을 위해 Luminar의 센서 기술은 자율 주행 소프트웨어, 카메라, 레이더 장치 및 스티어링, 제동 및 배터리 전원을위한 백업 시스템과 결합됩니다. 모든 기능은 향후 자율 주행 볼보 차량에 사용될 것입니다. 이들의 상호 작용 은 고속도로 에서 안전하고 완전 자율 주행 을 위한 기반을 마련합니다 .

Henrik Green은“자동차 기술이 안전하다고 판단하면 곧 볼보는 고속도로에서 자율 주행 할 수있게 될 것입니다.

“이 시점에서 볼보는 운전을 책임집니다. 운전자는 긴장을 풀고 핸들에서 손을 뗄 수 있습니다. 차량이 독립적으로 이동하는 응용 분야는 무선 ' 무선 '업데이트를 통해 확장 할 수 있습니다 . 점진적으로 자율 주행의 안전한 도입을 도입 할 수 있기 때문입니다. "라고 Green은 말합니다.

 

긴밀한 협력을 통해 Volvo Cars와 Luminar는 또한 양산을위한 LiDAR 기술의 산업화 및 검증을 늘리기를 원합니다. Volvo Cars는 또한 Luminar 의 소수 지분 을 잠재적으로 늘리는 계약에 서명했습니다 .

를 들어 실리콘 밸리 에 본사를 둔, 스웨덴 프리미엄 자동차 제조 업체와 제휴 시리즈 생산 방법에 중요한 단계이다. 이것은 기술을 자동차 산업에 대규모 로 도입하는 데 필요한 규모 의 경제 를 달성 하는 유일한 방법 입니다.

Luminar의 설립자 겸 CEO 인 Austin Russell 은“Volvo는 차량 안전 분야의 선구자이며 업계에서 가장 진보 된 인명 구조 기술 의 표준화를 개척했습니다 .

“차세대 안전 은 자율 주행이며 볼보는 업계에서 중요한 이정표로 다시 한 번 주도권을 잡았습니다. 우리는 비용, 성능 및 자율성 측면에서 가장 큰 문제를 해결 하여 연속 생산 을 가능하게 했습니다 . 볼보와 함께 우리는 전 세계에 기술을 제공하고 있습니다.”라고 Russell은 설명합니다.

출처: industrie.de/mobilitaet/volvo-kooperiert-mit-luminar-technologies/

 

 

 

5. 미 증권위원회 합병 등록보고서 제출 

Gores Metropoulos, Inc. Files Registration Statement on Form S-4 in Connection With Proposed Business Combination With Luminar Technologies, Inc.

September 15, 2020 02:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gores Metropoulos, Inc. (the “Company”), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of The Gores Group, LLC, a global investment firm founded in 1987 by Alec Gores, and by an affiliate of Dean Metropoulos of Metropoulos & Co., filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC (the “Registration Statement”) in connection with its previously announced proposed business combination with Luminar Technologies, Inc. (“Luminar”), a global leader in lidar autonomous driving technology. The Registration Statement is not yet effective. The Registration Statement, including the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus contained therein, when it is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), will contain important information about the proposed business combination contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Dawn Merger Sub, Inc., Dawn Merger Sub II, LLC and Luminar (the “Merger Agreement”). The Company’s filing of the Registration Statement represents an important step in Luminar becoming a publicly traded company, with the goal of being listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LAZR” by the fourth quarter of 2020.

As previously announced and as further described in the Registration Statement, the post-business combination company will have an implied pro forma enterprise value of approximately $2.9 billion and an equity value of approximately $3.4 billion at closing. After giving effect to any redemptions by the public stockholders of the Company, the balance of approximately $400 million cash held in the Company, together with at least $170 million in financing proceeds invested in Luminar in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, will remain in the post-business combination company and a portion will be used to pay transaction expenses. As part of the transaction, Luminar’s stockholders will receive approximately 271.8 million shares of Gores Metropoulos common stock at closing. The investment made directly into Luminar was led by institutional investors including Alec Gores, Van Tuyl Companies, Peter Thiel, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, Crescent Cove, Moore Strategic Ventures, Nick & Jill Woodman and VectoIQ, with the majority of the major existing investors participating. Net transaction proceeds will remain in the post-business combination company and support continued growth across key verticals as Luminar executes on significant production and development opportunities.

All current Luminar stockholders will roll the entirety of their existing equity holdings into the post-business combination company. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Luminar and Gores Metropoulos, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

Following completion of the proposed business combination, Luminar will retain its experienced management team. Founder Austin Russell will continue to serve as CEO and Tom Fennimore will continue to serve as CFO. Alec Gores will join the Luminar board of directors upon closing of the transaction.

Additional Information about the Transactions and Where to Find It

The Company has filed the Registration Statement that includes a preliminary proxy statement, consent solicitation statement and prospectus with respect to the Company’s securities to be issued in connection with the proposed transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement that also constitutes a preliminary prospectus of the Company and will mail a definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to its stockholders. The Registration Statement is not yet effective. The Registration Statement, including the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus contained therein, when it is declared effective by the SEC, will contain important information about the proposed transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the other matters to be voted upon at a meeting of the Company’s stockholders to be held to approve the proposed transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and other matters (the “Special Meeting”) and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of such matters. Company stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Registration Statement and the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, as well as any amendments or supplements thereto, because they contain or will contain important information about the proposed transactions. When available, the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus will be mailed to Company stockholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the other matters to be voted upon at the Special Meeting. Company stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Gores Metropoulos, Inc., 9800 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, attention: Jennifer Kwon Chou (email: jchou@gores.com).

Participants in Solicitation

The Company, Luminar and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Company stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions. Company stockholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of the Company in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to Company stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and other matters to be voted upon at the Special Meeting is set forth in the preliminary joint proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and will be set forth in the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus for the proposed transactions when available. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transactions is included in the Registration Statement.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication may contain a number of “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company’s or Luminar’s possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, debt levels, competitive position, industry environment, potential growth opportunities and the effects of regulation, including whether this transaction will generate returns for stockholders. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s or Luminar’s management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s or Luminar’s management’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors include, but are not limited to: (a) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement and the proposed transactions contemplated thereby; (b) the inability to complete the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement due to the failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of the Company or other conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement; (c) the ability to meet Nasdaq’s listing standards following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (d) the risk that the proposed transactions disrupt current plans and operations of Luminar or its subsidiaries as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transactions described herein; (e) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transactions, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (f) costs related to the proposed transactions; (g) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (h) the possibility that Luminar may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; and (i) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of the Company, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the SEC by the Company. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

Forward-looking statements included in this communication speak only as of the date of this communication. Except as required by law, neither the Company nor Luminar undertakes any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Disclaimer

This communication is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

출처: www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200915006228/en/Gores-Metropoulos-Inc.-Files-Registration-Statement-on-Form-S-4-in-Connection-With-Proposed-Business-Combination-With-Luminar-Technologies-Inc.