Metawave
Metawave Corporation, founded in 2017 in Carlsbad, California, designs imaging radar and millimeter wave antenna hardware for autonomous vehicle perception, V2X connectivity, and aerial sensing applications, selling via enterprise sales to OEMs and aerial platform operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Metawave does
Metawave Corporation is a private wireless technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The company designs and builds imaging radar and antenna solutions based on millimeter wave and metamaterials technologies, targeting two end-markets: autonomous vehicle manufacturers requiring advanced perception and safety systems, and aerial sensing operators (commercial drones, surveillance platforms) needing high-altitude object detection and weather-penetrating sensing. Metawave's core products are imaging radar hardware and antenna systems intended for safety-critical perception and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity applications.
The company operates a B2B enterprise sales motion, engaging directly with automotive OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, and aerial platform manufacturers. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of radar systems and antenna components; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Metawave has attracted a strategic investor base including Denso, Toyota Ventures, Hyundai, SAIC Venture Capital, AGC, Infineon, Khosla Ventures, and NTT DOCOMO Ventures, reflecting alignment with the global automotive and sensing ecosystems. The company is led by founder-level technical leadership, with a combined CEO/CTO and CEO/Co-founder structure and supporting C-suite officers covering legal, customer, and finance functions.
Since founding, Metawave has raised approximately $86 million or more across multiple rounds, including a $26 million convertible and debt financing in June 2022 intended to accelerate product delivery. Operational signals are mixed: headcount remains in the 11-50 range, the company website is currently offline, and no revenue, customer logos, or production-volume commercial metrics are disclosed. The data indicates an early-to-mid stage hardware company progressing through product development and strategic-investor cultivation rather than scaled commercialization.
Metawave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metawave
- Legal name
- Metawave Corporation
- Website
- https://bzndrs.wixsite.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metawave Corporation, founded in 2017 in Carlsbad, California, designs imaging radar and millimeter wave antenna hardware for autonomous vehicle perception, V2X connectivity, and aerial sensing applications, selling via enterprise sales to OEMs and aerial platform operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metawave industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Radar 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
- Active Safety Sensing Hardware Manufacturing (Radar/LiDAR/Cameras/Ultrasonic) (IMACAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) ICs & Beamforming ICs (HDAHAMAH), Radar Systems & Subsystems (Airborne, Ground, Naval) (IMABAGAA)
Keywords
Where Metawave is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlsbad
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Metawave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Radar and Antenna Hardware Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of imaging radar systems, antenna solutions, and related hardware components for autonomous vehicles and aerial sensing applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Metawave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metawave designs and builds imaging radar systems and antenna hardware that leverage proprietary millimeter wave circuitry, metamaterials, and AI-driven signal processing to deliver high-resolution perception for safety-critical applications. The company's products serve autonomous vehicle manufacturers and commercial/defense aerial sensing operators that require long-range object detection, weather robustness, and reliable connectivity in demanding environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Imaging Radar Solutions Imaging radar hardware that uses millimeter wave frequencies and AI-driven processing to deliver high-resolution object detection and tracking for autonomous vehicle manufacturers and aerial sensing operators requiring safety-critical perception.
- Antenna Solutions Proprietary antenna products leveraging metamaterial-based beamforming for automotive safety and vehicle-to-everything connectivity, and for airborne sensing platforms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Enhanced delivery of imaging radar solutions through $26M financing
Companies that use Metawave
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Metawave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Metawave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Metawave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arbe Robotics: Arbe builds high-resolution 4D mmWave imaging radar for automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicles, the same core product category as Metawave. Both target perception for L2+ through L4 with high channel-count radar and compete for similar OEM design slots.
- Uhnder: Uhnder develops digital mmWave radar for automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicles, directly competing with Metawave in the imaging-radar category. Both target higher resolution, smaller-pixel, and 4D perception for next-generation ADAS.
Broad incumbents
- Mobileye: Mobileye is the dominant automotive perception/ADAS incumbent, with its own camera, radar, and lidar strategy. It overlaps with Metawave in radar-based perception for ADAS and is both a competitor and a potential acquirer of perception technology.
- Veoneer (now part of Magna): Veoneer (acquired by Magna) was a major automotive radar supplier and direct competitor to Metawave in ADAS perception. It is relevant as a benchmark for the type of Tier 1/2 position Metawave would need to reach scale.
- Aptiv: Aptiv is a global automotive Tier 1 with a sizable ADAS and sensing portfolio, including radar. It competes with Metawave for ADAS perception design wins and represents the scale incumbent Metawave must displace.
- Continental: Continental is one of the largest automotive radar suppliers globally, with deep OEM relationships across European and US OEMs. It sets the cost and performance baseline that any startup imaging-radar player, including Metawave, must beat.
- Bosch: Bosch is the volume leader in automotive radar sensors and a dominant Tier 1 in ADAS. It is the primary scale benchmark for Metawave in production automotive radar and represents the incumbent cost/quality threat.
- Waymo: Waymo is a leading autonomous-driving platform that has historically developed significant in-house radar and perception expertise. It represents the largest potential in-house perception customer/competitor for Metawave-class radar technology.
Emerging players
- Aeva: Aeva develops FMCW lidar and perception for automotive and aerial applications, and competes with Metawave in next-generation sensing for AV/ADAS programs. Both are US-based pre-revenue sensing specialists targeting OEM design wins.
Others
- NXP Semiconductors: NXP is a leading supplier of radar transceivers and processors used in automotive radar systems, and is an enabling/ecosystem player for Metawave rather than a direct end-product competitor. NXP's silicon roadmap sets the platform constraints Metawave must design around.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Metawave social profiles
Digital presenceMetawave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metawave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Metawave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metawave 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 Metawave
What does Metawave do?
Metawave designs and builds imaging radar systems and antenna hardware that leverage proprietary millimeter wave circuitry, metamaterials, and AI-driven signal processing to deliver high-resolution perception for safety-critical applications. The company's products serve autonomous vehicle manufacturers and commercial/defense aerial sensing operators that require long-range object detection, weather robustness, and reliable connectivity in demanding environments.
Is Metawave a public or private company?
Metawave is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Metawave founded?
Metawave was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metawave based?
Metawave is headquartered in Carlsbad, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metawave make money?
One revenue line is on record: radar and Antenna Hardware Sales.
Who are Metawave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arbe Robotics and Uhnder. Broad incumbents are Mobileye, Veoneer (now part of Magna), Aptiv, Continental, Bosch and Waymo. Aeva is listed as an emerging player. NXP Semiconductors is listed as an others.
Does Metawave have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metawave.
What industry is Metawave in?
Metawave's product category is Automotive Radar Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAMAF, Active Safety Sensing Hardware Manufacturing (Radar/LiDAR/Cameras/Ultrasonic), with a secondary code of HDAHAMAH, Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) ICs & Beamforming ICs. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.