Nullmax

About Nullmax

Nullmax is an artificial intelligence technology company specializing in autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for the global automotive market. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2016 by CEO/CTO Dr. Lei Xu and COO Justin Song, the company also has a significant R&D center in Shanghai. Both founders are veterans of Tesla; Xu was a core member of the Autopilot team, leading the Tesla Vision deep learning project, while Song also worked on Autopilot and the car's infotainment system.

The company focuses on a "Machine Learning First" (MLF) and vision-centric approach, developing full-stack autonomous driving systems that do not rely on high-precision maps or lidar. Its core technology, Nullmax Intelligence, is designed to perceive and navigate like a human by processing visual data, sound, and text to perform obstacle detection and real-time 3D reconstruction. This allows the system to be cost-effective, enabling advanced driver-assist features on hardware with lower computing power. Nullmax also utilizes AI-Generated Content (AIGC) to create virtual data for training and accelerating model development.

Nullmax provides a range of solutions under its MaxDrive product line, which caters to various levels of automation, from active safety features to full-scenario autonomous driving for urban environments. The company's business model is centered on supplying its software and hardware solutions to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers. It has established partnerships with several major automakers, including SAIC and Chery, and has achieved mass production on multiple vehicle models. As a privately held company, Nullmax is backed by investors including Shanghai Stonehill Technology, Desay SV, FutureX Capital, and Yanshan Capital, securing $110 million in a 2023 funding round to scale production and R&D.