We're happy to announce our latest investment in Route Konnect, a UK Artificial Intelligence software company that aims to be the “Google Analytics” of physical spaces.

Providing valuable insights with cutting-edge technology

We're currently witnessing a growing legal pushback in the UK and EU against the use of facial recognition technology. The problem is that there are no camera-based alternatives to anonymously gather movement telemetry across multiple cameras to generate rich insights.

While there are other video analytics providers who opt not to use facial recognition, they process each camera at a location in isolation. This loses the full customer journey across a station, a retail store, or an event venue. In comparison, Route Konnect’s edge processing solution gathers information from multiple cameras within the existing infrastructure and utilizes real-time sensor data to provide in-depth insights into people and vehicle movement within cities. Their robust algorithm can anonymously reconnect a person's path across multiple cameras. In addition, the technology can also be used to improve road efficiency through traffic management. There’s nothing on the market that works the same way as Route Konnect’s technology.

The global smart transportation market which Route Konnect is tackling was recently valued at more than $56bn. In addition, Route Konnect’s platform goes even further than just transportation and can provide useful analytics for the construction industry (asset managers, contractors, and property developers) or for the retail industry (airports, shopping malls, event venues, and more).

The team behind Route Konnect

Back in 2016, the CEO Mohamed Binesmael, CTO Daniel Harborne, and Software Engineer Matteo De Rosa discovered a mutual passion for autonomous vehicle racing. They had a vision centered around developing a self-racing, self-driving car, one that would require a camera to be installed to see which insights it would generate. Over time, as their experience grew, they realized there were already thousands of cameras at their fingertips, so they pivoted towards using the existing infrastructure to develop software that could analyze traffic patterns. This became Road Konnect, which is designed to improve road efficiency, help reduce carbon emissions, and provide valuable behavioral insights.

The investment

Zenzic, the Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CAM) Scale-Up program, offers select start-up and SME participants an opportunity to develop innovative solutions. In partnership with Zenzic, Plug and Play Tech Center has delivered two cohorts of the CAM Scale-up program dedicated to accelerating the most innovative UK startups and SMEs. It was during the selection process of this program that Plug and Play first met the co-founders of Route Konnect. The startup was successfully admitted into the program and obtained £100k UK government funding and access to world-class technical and business assistance to bring its products closer to the market. Other investors for its first pre-seed equity investment included the Development Bank of Wales’ Technology Seed Fund, proptech VC Pi Labs, early-stage investors SFC Capital, and private angel investors.

We're excited about this investment opportunity, as expressed by our investors.

“Route Konnect’s unique AI software solution is a great addition to Plug and Play’s strong mobility and smart cities innovation ecosystem. Leveraging a global presence in key automotive hubs such as Warwickshire in the UK, Stuttgart, Modena, Detroit, or Tokyo, Plug and Play will open many doors for Route Konnect and accelerate its traction,” said Theodora Alexe, Senior Ventures Associate at STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play.

“Through our program with Zenzic, we were able to gain a unique insight into Route Konnect’s technology and market potential. We are excited to support the company to scale through our global B2B ecosystem of partners,” said Kieran Borrett, Head of Plug and Play UK.