On December 31, 2025, neueHCT, a joint venture between Horizon Robotics and the OMV Group, completed a funding round of nearly $200 million. This investment was jointly led by prominent industrial capital and market-oriented funds including Yunfeng Capital, Dachen (Dachen Caizhi, Guochen Venture Capital), Hundun Investment, Bihong Investment, and Ningbo Tongshang Fund (Yongning Gaoxin Fund), with strategic shareholders OMV Group (formerly the automotive subgroup of Continental AG) and Horizon Robotics (09660) making additional investments. Following its first market-oriented funding round in early 2025, which included participation from Hillhouse Capital, CICC Porsche, and Zhejiang Financial Control, this latest round signifies strong and concentrated recognition from investment institutions, highlighting the company's technological strength and commercial potential.

Amidst the global development of the smart vehicle industry and breakthroughs in autonomous driving technology, suppliers in the smart driving sector are facing structural opportunities. As a technology enterprise jointly initiated by Horizon Robotics and the OMV Group, neueHCT adheres to the mission of "Democratizing Autonomous Driving, Making Mobility Safer and More Convenient" and the vision of "Bringing Leading Smart Driving Products to Every Continent," serving global OEM customers.

neueHCT's product portfolio for assisted driving is built upon core technological expertise. The company has established a product matrix comprising "HCT Astra Urban Smart Assisted Driving + HCT Luna High-Performance ADAS Solutions." Among these, the new-generation, single-stage, end-to-end HCT Astra system offers a human-like driving experience adapted for complex urban road conditions, making practical urban assisted driving accessible to passenger vehicles priced around 100,000 yuan. In 2025, the company secured partnerships for over 10 vehicle models, demonstrating its efficient commercial deployment.

Simultaneously, the company has achieved commercial breakthroughs in overseas markets, conducting product validation and deployment in multiple countries and regions, thereby promoting the globalization and democratization of smart assisted driving technology. Andrea Dong Huaijin, Executive Director of Yunfeng Capital, stated: "Yunfeng Capital is optimistic about neueHCT as a platform company forged through the powerful alliance of Horizon Robotics and the OMV Group, possessing long-term potential to radiate and expand into global markets. neueHCT combines Horizon Robotics' leading end-to-end smart assisted driving technology capabilities with the OMV Group's profound global industrial resource advantages. It has rapidly secured multiple vehicle model design wins in the domestic market and achieved mass-production breakthroughs in overseas operations, laying a solid foundation for becoming a leader in the global autonomous driving sector."

Shi Junjie, Investment Director at Dachen Caizhi, stated: "As an investor in this round of funding for neueHCT, we are delighted to participate in the development journey of this highly promising autonomous driving enterprise. Since its establishment, neueHCT has rapidly grown into an influential integrated hardware and software solution provider in the industry, leveraging its deep industrial background, leading technological architecture, and global business layout. Currently, neueHCT has established a dual-product line layout covering L2 to L2++ levels with its 'HCT Luna High-Performance ADAS Solution' and 'HCT Astra Urban Smart Assisted Driving Solution,' providing full-stack solutions directly to domestic clients; it has also completed data closed-loops in multiple overseas locations and secured mass-production design wins with several international automakers. We believe the company has the potential to grow into a globally influential platform company during the ongoing reshaping of the autonomous driving industry landscape."

Zhang Jianwei, Head of Equity Investment at Hundun Investment, stated: "Hundun Investment maintains a long-term focus on technological changes and investment opportunities in the autonomous driving sector. After a decade of technological iteration and breakthroughs, the industry is entering its own industrial revolution era. neueHCT, with its full-stack integrated software and hardware capabilities, offers highly competitive smart assisted driving products while possessing a global perspective, extensive international business resources, and supply chain management experience. We are confident that neueHCT will undoubtedly become a global leader in democratizing autonomous driving."

A relevant representative from Ningbo Tongshang Fund stated: "As Ningbo's largest private equity investment institution, the Ningbo Yongning Gaoxin Fund we manage strategically invests in emerging global technology companies. Through our interactions, we have been impressed by neueHCT's rapid iteration leveraging parent company resources, its ADAS technology performance, highly competitive products, and global commercial progress as a joint venture between Horizon Robotics and the OMV Group. We admire this young technical team and deeply recognize the collaborative effort of the two parent companies, creating a new model for Sino-foreign joint ventures for the market. We have reason to believe that neueHCT's commercialization journey will be a milestone in the wave of Chinese companies 'going global.'"

Li Biao, CEO of neueHCT, stated: "The successful completion of this funding round not only provides the company with dual empowerment through capital and strategic resources but also demonstrates the capital market's recognition of our technological roadmap and commercialization capabilities. We thank our investors and industry partners for their recognition and support of neueHCT's technology path. Moving forward, the company will continue to deepen its technological expertise, focus on customer needs and user experience, promote the deployment of more cost-effective smart assisted driving products, allow global users to enjoy the safety and convenience brought by smart assisted driving, and fulfill the strategic vision of 'bringing leading smart driving products to every continent.'"