#139 - Jan Becker | Apex.AI – Modular, Scalable Software for Autonomy and Software Defined Vehicles

Jan Becker is President, CEO and Co-Founder of Apex.AI, Inc. He is also the Managing Director of the Apex.AI GmbH. Key topics in this conversation include: Understanding software defined vehicles Apex.Grace, Apex.Ida, and Apex.OS Building the operating system for autonomous vehicles that is designed to never fail Apex.AI’s role enabling autonomy outside of automotive Functional safety considerations for modular software How Apex.AI is making their mark on the industry Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/janbecker https://www.apex.ai/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/janbecker23/ Jan’s bio Jan Becker is President, CEO and Co-Founder of Apex.AI, Inc. He is also the Managing Director of the Apex.AI GmbH, our subsidiary in Germany. Prior to founding Apex.AI, he was Senior Director at Faraday Future responsible for Autonomous Driving and Director at Robert Bosch LLC responsible for Automated Driving in North America. He also served as a Senior Manager and Principal Engineer at the Bosch Research and Technology Center in Palo Alto, CA, USA, and as a senior research engineer for Corporate Research at Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany. Since 2010, Jan is Lecturer at Stanford University for autonomous vehicles and driver assistance. Previously, he was a visiting scholar at the University’s Artificial Intelligence Lab and a member of the Stanford Racing Team for the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. In 2019, Jan was appointed to serve on the external Advisory Board of MARELLI to provide strategic advice to the MARELLI Board. In 2018, he co-founded the Autoware Foundation and was on the foundation’s board of directors until 2020. Jan earned a Ph.D. in control engineering from the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, a master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. About Apex.AI Apex.AI is a Palo Alto, Munich, Berlin, Stuttgart and Gothenburg-based company that is developing breakthrough safe, certified, developer-friendly, and scalable software for mobility systems. Our software products are based on proven open-source software, such as ROS or Eclipse iceoryx, so that we don’t spend time redeveloping what already works. Instead, we fork software that has been developed and proven in use by large developer communities. We then add what is missing: Functional safety, flawless performance, and support for application in commercial and safety-critical products. In order to do so, we have developed a proprietary process to rework open-source software in record time such that it conforms to the highest requirements of the applicable functional safety standard. We launched our award-winning first product Apex.Grace, formerly known as Apex.OS, after three years in 2020 and have taken it through certification in record time for launch in 2021. Future of Mobility: The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields. Edison Manufacturing: Edison manufacturing is your low volume contract manufacturing partner for build and assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.