AEye
AEye (NASDAQ: LIDR) designs software-defined 1550nm lidar sensors (Apollo, Stratos) and the OPTIS full-stack perception platform for automotive OEMs, defense primes, ITS operators, and rail, trucking, and aviation customers.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPleasanton, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AEye does
AEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIDR) is a publicly traded developer of software-defined 1550nm lidar sensors and full-stack perception platforms headquartered in Pleasanton, California. Founded in 2013, the company designs long-range solid-state lidar systems using a biaxial MEMS scanning architecture in which range, resolution, field of view, and scan patterns are configurable via software rather than hardware swaps. Its product portfolio centers on three offerings: Apollo, a 1-kilometer-class lidar in a compact 3.5 x 15 x 13 cm behind-the-windshield form factor; Stratos, a third-generation 1.5-kilometer lidar launched January 5, 2026 in a smartphone-sized footprint; and OPTIS, a full-stack perception solution that fuses Apollo lidar with NVIDIA Jetson Orin compute and curated third-party perception software (Vueron, Flasheye, Blue Band Integrator-AI, Black Sesame) to deliver real-time 3D perception and automated response.
AEye serves automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, defense primes, intelligent transportation system operators, and rail, trucking, aviation, and industrial-logistics customers. The company operates a capital-light manufacturing model anchored by Tier-1 partner LITEON Technology, with capacity targeted at up to 60,000 Apollo units annually by mid-2026, and is validated on the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin and DRIVE AGX Thor platforms. AEye joined NVIDIA's ANAB-accredited Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab in March 2026. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise engagement with channel and distribution partnerships, including SynTech in defense, Black Sesame Technologies in China, MoveAWheeL in Korea, and the OPTIS perception-ecosystem partners.
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware shipments of Apollo and Stratos sensors and bundled OPTIS solutions, with Q1 2026 revenue of approximately $101,000 (up roughly 60% year-over-year) and full-year 2025 revenue of approximately $230,000, placing AEye squarely in early commercialization. Active revenue customers grew from 16 in Q4 2025 to 21 in Q1 2026. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with the company positioning Stratos as a cost-disruptive long-range option and signaling a path to recurring software-enabled configuration and updates on top of hardware shipments. Cash stood at $77.2 million as of March 31, 2026, supporting an operational runway into 2028 against FY2026 cash burn guidance of $30-35 million.
AEye firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AEye
- Legal name
- AEye, Inc.
- Website
- https://aeye.ai
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- AEye (NASDAQ: LIDR) designs software-defined 1550nm lidar sensors (Apollo, Stratos) and the OPTIS full-stack perception platform for automotive OEMs, defense primes, ITS operators, and rail, trucking, and aviation customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AEye industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lidar Sensors and Perception Systems
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- LiDAR & 3D Sensing Modules (HDAHALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Active Safety Sensing Hardware Manufacturing (Radar/LiDAR/Cameras/Ultrasonic) (IMACAMAF), Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensors & Targeting Systems (IMABAGAC)
Keywords
Where AEye is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasanton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AEye business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales (Lidar Sensors): AEye generates revenue primarily through shipments of its Apollo and Stratos lidar sensors. Q1 2026 revenue was approximately $101,000 (up ~60% YoY), driven by software-defined lidar solutions sold across automotive, defense, ITS, trucking, rail, and industrial customers. Apollo unit shipments reached the highest level in the company's history in Q1 2026.
- Full-Stack OPTIS Solution Sales: OPTIS bundles AEye's Apollo lidar with NVIDIA Jetson Orin compute and curated partner perception/physical AI software into an integrated solution sold to automotive, smart city, aerospace, and defense customers. OPTIS is deployed live at a California intersection in partnership with Flasheye and Blue Band, and will be demonstrated with Michigan DOT at ITS America 2026.
- Software-Enabled Sensor Configurations & Updates: AEye's software-defined architecture enables configurable sensing, software updates that extend capability over time, and tailored configuration for specific customer use cases. The capital-light model and reconfigurable architecture support a path to recurring software-driven value alongside hardware shipments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Stratos ultra-long-range lidar positioned as cost-disruptive solution |
| Other | — | Apollo lidar for automotive, ITS, and industrial applications |
Go-to-market motion4 records
AEye product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AEye designs, develops, and sells software-defined 1550nm lidar sensors and bundled perception solutions for automotive, defense, rail, intelligent transportation, aviation, mining, and security applications. Its flagship products are the Apollo lidar (up to 1 km detection) and the Stratos third-generation ultra-long-range lidar (up to 1.5 km detection), sold individually or as part of the OPTIS full-stack physical AI perception platform that combines AEye lidar, NVIDIA Jetson Orin compute, and partner perception software.
Product overview
AEye offers a unified platform-plus-modules product portfolio built around software-defined lidar. The company's flagship core product is Apollo, a 1550 nm lidar sensor capable of detecting objects up to one kilometer in a compact, behind-the-windshield form factor, complemented by Stratos, the third-generation ultra-long-range lidar sensor that extends detection to 1.5 kilometers with more than twice Apollo's resolution. OPTIS is the company's full-stack perception platform, which fuses Apollo/Stratos lidar with AI compute (NVIDIA Jetson Orin, validated on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin and DRIVE AGX Thor) and partner perception software (Vueron, Flasheye, Blue Band, Black Sesame, MoveAWheeL) to deliver real-time 3D perception, interpretation, and automated response for ADAS, autonomous vehicles, intelligent transportation systems, smart infrastructure, rail, mining, defense, aviation, and security applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Apollo: AEye's flagship software-defined lidar sensor capable of detecting objects at distances of up to one kilometer in a compact form factor, designed for automotive, trucking, rail, mining, and behind-the-windshield integration.
- Stratos
- OPTIS
Products and services
- Apollo Lidar Sensor Apollo is AEye's flagship software-defined 1550nm lidar sensor that detects objects at distances of up to one kilometer (including up to 325 meters at 10% reflectivity) in a compact 3.5 (H) × 15 (W) × 13 (D) cm form factor designed for behind-the-windshield automotive integration. It delivers up to 6.4 million points per second with 120° (H) × 30° (V) field of view and 0.05° × 0.05° resolution within regions of interest, and is configurable via software updates for automotive, trucking, smart infrastructure, rail, mining, defense, and aviation applications.
- Stratos Lidar Sensor Stratos is AEye's ultra-long-range third-generation lidar sensor capable of detecting objects at distances of up to 1.5 kilometers with resolution greater than 2× that of Apollo. Delivered in a compact smartphone-sized form factor suitable for behind-the-windshield mounting, Stratos is targeted at automotive, trucking, aviation, defense, and rail applications where longer range and earlier object recognition are critical.
- OPTIS Full-Stack Perception Platform OPTIS is AEye's full-stack physical AI solution that fuses Apollo lidar with NVIDIA Jetson Orin compute and curated partner perception software (Vueron, Flasheye, Blue Band Integrator-AI, Black Sesame) to deliver long-range, high-resolution 3D perception, real-time interpretation, and automated response for automotive ADAS, intelligent transportation systems, security perimeters, mining, rail safety, logistics, ports, and defense.
Companies that use AEye
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles4 records
AEye technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
AEye partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
AEye competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Innoviz Technologies: Solid-state LiDAR supplier targeting automotive ADAS and autonomous driving OEMs with a similar software-plus-sensor stack, competing head-to-head with AEye for automotive design wins.
- Hesai Group: High-volume automotive and robotaxi LiDAR manufacturer with strong China OEM relationships, competing with AEye on cost, scale, and design-in velocity in the global passenger vehicle market.
- MicroVision: Public MEMS-based LiDAR and sensing company pursuing automotive and industrial customers with a similar long-range, solid-state technology thesis to AEye.
- RoboSense: China-based LiDAR sensor and perception solution provider serving automotive, robotics, and industrial customers, directly comparable in product portfolio and target verticals to AEye.
- Luminar Technologies: Publicly traded long-range 1550nm LiDAR competitor also pursuing OEM design-ins in automotive and adjacent markets, making it the closest direct comparable to AEye in wavelength, range targets, and go-to-market.
- Ouster: Public LiDAR company (merged with Velodyne) serving automotive, robotics, smart infrastructure, and defense markets, overlapping with AEye on multi-vertical LiDAR commercialization.
- Aeva: FMCW LiDAR-on-chip company targeting automotive and industrial applications, competing for similar OEM and perception-stack design opportunities as AEye.
- Cepton (Koito Manufacturing partnership): Long-range LiDAR supplier for ADAS and AV applications now backed by Tier-1 Koito, directly comparable to AEye's LITEON-backed, Tier-1-enabled automotive LiDAR strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Mobileye: Dominant ADAS perception incumbent whose camera-centric stack and now-internal LiDAR programs set the competitive bar for ADAS sensor design-ins that AEye must beat to win OEM volume.
Emerging players
- Seyond (formerly Innovusion): Long-range LiDAR specialist with automotive and intelligent transportation deployments that overlaps with AEye's Apollo/Stratos long-range positioning in automotive and ITS.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AEye social profiles
Digital presenceAEye compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
AEye financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AEye leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
AEye funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AEye M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AEye
What does AEye do?
AEye designs, develops, and sells software-defined 1550nm lidar sensors and bundled perception solutions for automotive, defense, rail, intelligent transportation, aviation, mining, and security applications. Its flagship products are the Apollo lidar (up to 1 km detection) and the Stratos third-generation ultra-long-range lidar (up to 1.5 km detection), sold individually or as part of the OPTIS full-stack physical AI perception platform that combines AEye lidar, NVIDIA Jetson Orin compute, and partner perception software.
Is AEye a public or private company?
AEye is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was AEye founded?
AEye was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is AEye based?
AEye is headquartered in Pleasanton, United States, in the North America region.
How does AEye make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales (Lidar Sensors) is the primary driver. The others are full-Stack OPTIS Solution Sales and software-Enabled Sensor Configurations & Updates.
Who are AEye's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Innoviz Technologies, Hesai Group, MicroVision, RoboSense, Luminar Technologies, Ouster, Aeva and Cepton (Koito Manufacturing partnership). Mobileye is listed as a broad incumbent. Seyond (formerly Innovusion) is listed as an emerging player.
Does AEye have an API?
No public API is recorded for AEye.
What industry is AEye in?
AEye's product category is Lidar Sensors and Perception Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAG, LiDAR & 3D Sensing Modules, with a secondary code of IMACAMAF, Active Safety Sensing Hardware Manufacturing (Radar/LiDAR/Cameras/Ultrasonic). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.