UAE’s e& Capital, AT&T Ventures Invest in Derq

Michigan-headquartered Derq, the leading provider of real-time AI-powered intelligent transportation system (ITS) solutions, has announced strategic investments from e& capital, the venture capital arm of e&, a global technology group in the UAE; and AT&T Ventures, the venture capital arm of AT&T, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.

The investments from e& capital and AT&T Ventures will be used to expand Derq’s activities in the US, GCC, and beyond, and accelerate the company’s investments in product development and growing its intellectual property (IP) portfolio.

Derq’s offerings address the immediate safety and efficiency needs of today’s roads and lays the groundwork for a safer and more efficient connected transportation ecosystem in the future.

By integrating state-of-the-art AI and IoT with connected infrastructure and sensing technologies, Derq’s platform provides road owners and operators with critical road safety insights, innovative traffic control capabilities, and advanced connected vehicles applications.

To date, Derq has more than 25 active deployments in 16 states across the US as well as several international deployments. The US Department of Transportation has announced Derq as a winner of the agency’s Intersection Safety Challenge as well as was named Derq among its Allies in Action as Derq joins the country’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) and the US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s call to action to reverse the spike in crashes and traffic-related fatality rates.

Supporting Visionary Businesses

 Kushal Shah, Managing Director of e& capital, said that Derq is a global innovator, and their investment is a testament to e& capital’s commitment to supporting visionary businesses that move the world forward.

“By backing Derq, we are not only investing in a company at the forefront of intelligent transportation technology but also contributing to the development of innovative solutions that will benefit communities globally,” he said.

He added: “We believe in Derq’s vision of creating safer and smarter road networks. Their AI-powered ITS solutions are perfectly aligned with e& capital’s strategic focus on investing in companies that are disrupting industries through emerging technologies like AI, connectivity, and IoT.”

In his comments, Head of AT&T Ventures Vikram Taneja said that this strategic investment in Derq, a significant innovator in intelligent transportation solutions, and their solutions are transforming how cities and industries approach mobility, safety and efficiency.

Dr Georges Aoude, co-founder and CEO of Derq, said that these strategic relationships with two global telecommunication and technology leaders not only validate the progress made to date but empower us to scale our operations and enhance our ability to deliver next-generation intelligent transportation solutions to customers around the world.

“We have bold plans to harness digital infrastructure and usher in a future where our roads are safer and more efficient. We are well-positioned to continue leading this charge and develop and deploy intelligent transportation solutions at scale,” he added.