AEye

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.

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

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

• Software-defined lidar
• Automotive lidar sensors
• Full-stack perception platform
• Intelligent transportation sensing
• ADAS perception lidar

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasanton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion4 records

Core 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.

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/AEyeInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aeye-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors17 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AEye