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§ Private Profile · Billerica, MA, USA
Automotive technology company developing advanced suspension systems for OEMs, focused on proactive, adaptive driving experiences.
ClearMotion is a Billerica, Massachusetts-based automotive technology company that develops proactive suspension systems combining hardware and software to adapt to road conditions in dynamic real-time environments. The company operates on a business-to-business model, supplying global original equipment manufacturers with its flagship CM1 suspension hardware and charging recurring fees for its RoadMotion cloud application programming interface. To support its commercialization and series development efforts, the enterprise has secured $278.8 million in total funding across ten distinct investment rounds, including a $4 million Series B tranche in January 2024. Currently led by Chief Executive Officer Christian Steinmann, the firm utilizes predictive algorithms and crowdsourced sensor data to generate high-definition road surface maps for both passenger and commercial vehicles. ClearMotion was founded in 2009 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates Shakeel Avadhany and Zack Anderson.
ClearMotion has raised $417.0M across 7 funding rounds.
ClearMotion has raised $417.0M in total across 7 funding rounds.
ClearMotion is a technology company specializing in software-defined chassis systems for the automotive industry, developing advanced active suspension technology to enhance ride comfort, handling, performance, and safety.[1][2][3][4] Its flagship product, ClearMotion1 (CM1), features the ActiValve—a proactive hardware system with actuators, controllers, and software that senses road disturbances in nanoseconds and counteracts them in real-time, replacing traditional shock absorbers while integrating lightweight, cost-effective components.[2][3][4][5] The company serves OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, addressing the problem of unwanted vehicle motion on imperfect roads through on-car hardware and RoadMotion cloud software, which crowdsources high-definition road surface data for predictive adjustments.[1][2][4] With $351.33M raised, a recent $4M funding round, and a landmark production order from NIO in 2023, ClearMotion demonstrates strong growth momentum toward commercialization.[1][3]
ClearMotion was founded in 2009 by MIT graduates Shakeel Avadhany and Zack Anderson, initially as Levant Power, focusing on energy recovery in suspension systems.[1][5] The founders quickly pivoted after recognizing limitations in existing active suspension technologies—high costs, energy use, and bulky hydraulics—adapting their innovation into a fully active system with a compact form factor similar to standard shocks.[5] Renamed ClearMotion in January 2017, the company evolved from regenerative damping to proactive motion control, achieving early traction through simulations in Simulink and CarSim, real-time prototyping on Speedgoat hardware, and vehicle testing that adapts to driving behaviors and road conditions.[3][5] Pivotal moments include closing initial production contracts and securing the NIO order, marking entry into series development for OEM launches.[3][5]
ClearMotion rides the wave of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and electrification in automotive, where proactive chassis control aligns with demands for superior in-cabin experiences amid rising EV adoption and autonomous driving trends.[1][3][4] Timing is ideal as roads degrade globally while consumer expectations for comfort and safety surge—OEMs like NIO seek differentiators in competitive EV markets, amplified by ADAS integration and cloud connectivity.[2][3][4] Market forces favoring ClearMotion include regulatory pushes for efficiency (its lightweight design boosts range) and data-driven mobility, positioning it to influence ecosystem standards through crowdsourced road intelligence that benefits insurers, infrastructure planners, and fleets beyond OEMs.[2][4]
ClearMotion is poised for scaled production with OEM launches imminent, leveraging NIO's order and $351M funding to expand RoadMotion's cloud API across global fleets.[1][3] Trends like AI-enhanced autonomy, sustainable mobility, and hyper-personalized rides will propel its growth, potentially evolving from suspension specialist to core SDV enabler with partnerships in battery-adjacent tech.[1][2][5] As adoption spreads, ClearMotion could redefine "quality time in cars," transforming reactive travel into proactive, flow-like journeys that set new benchmarks for automotive innovation.[4]
ClearMotion has raised $417.0M in total across 7 funding rounds.
ClearMotion's investors include Acadia Woods, BAI Capital, Liberty Street Funds, Tim Connor, NIO Capital, Franklin Templeton Investments, NewView Capital, Gen Isayama, Yan Zhu, Annabelle Long, Franklin Templeton, Accel.
ClearMotion has raised $417.0M across 7 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $32.0M Other Equity in May 2023.