LG Innotek, the materials and components unit of South Korea’s LG Group, has entered into a manufacturing partnership with Silicon Valley-based Aeva Technologies to produce advanced 4D lidar sensors. Under the deal, LG Innotek will manufacture and supply Aeva’s Atlas Ultra 4D lidar for automotive use, with plans to expand into consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial automation. The agreement also includes up to $50 million in investment by LG Innotek for approximately a 6% equity stake in Aeva.
“The first part of the partnership is focused on the automotive sector,” said Soroush Salehian, co-founder and CEO of Aeva. “LG Innotek will act as our manufacturing partner for some of the top 10 global passenger vehicle OEMs.”
Aeva, founded in 2017, has developed what it calls “4D lidar on a chip,” which uses frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology to measure both distance and velocity for each pixel in real time. Unlike traditional lidar systems that rely on time-of-flight measurements, this approach provides a new layer of perception.
“It’s like going from black-and-white to color camera,” Salehian explained. “We get this velocity information as a new dimension.”
The company has integrated its lidar system, including optics, into a silicon photonics module. This compact design supports scalable production and easier integration, especially for automotive and other mass-market applications. Salehian said, “Over the past eight years, we’ve made [the hardware] super small, and we’re sticking to that trajectory. We’re going to make it down to a monolithic, single-chip.”
Aeva plans to use the new capital to support product development and team expansion. Beyond automotive, the company is broadening its reach with partnerships such as Nikon in Japan and Sick AG in Germany, and is deploying lidar-based monitoring systems in major U.S. airports including San Francisco International Airport and JFK Terminal One.
