University of Western Australia-founded automated navigation business Advanced Navigation will look to win custom in the US and Europe for its products, which operate in areas unreachable by GPS.

Advanced Navigation, an Australia-based automated navigation business exploiting University of Western Australia (UWA) technology, has raised A$20m ($13.6m) from investors including Main Sequence Ventures, the VC firm established by government-owned research institute Csiro, the Australian Financial Review reported today. In-Q-Tel, the US intelligence community’s strategic venturing unit, also took part in the round along with construction tech-focused VC firm Brick and Mortar Ventures. Founded in 2010, Advanced Navigation develops artificial intelligence-driven navigation systems for applications such as underwater surveyance robots, self-driving cars and geographical compasses. The systems can remain operational without GPS coverage, employing an AI-derived technique called inertial navigation to blend information from computers, motion sensors and rotation sensors. Advanced Navigation was formed on the inventions of co-founders Xavier Orr and Chris Shaw during their studies at UWA, which focused on inertial navigation and sensor technology respectively. The company is looking to add business in the US and Europe to its existing Australian presence, and will also scale up its R&D unit to deliver new navigation products over the next couple of years. Martin Duursma, partner at Main Sequence Ventures, will join Advanced Navigation’s board of directors together with Curtis Rodgers, principal at Brick and Mortar Ventures. Advanced Navigation does not appear to have disclosed details of earlier funding.

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