ClearMotion Funding, Investors & Competitors

ClearMotion has raised $390M across 7 funding rounds, most recently a $32M undisclosed-stage round in May 2023.

Last ClearMotion funding round

$32M

Undisclosed stage · May 2023

Cumulative funding ClearMotion raised

$390M

across 7 funding rounds

Key investors in ClearMotion

  • NewView Capital
  • Acadia Woods Partners
  • Putnam Premier IT
  • World Innovation Lab
  • New Enterprise Associates
  • M12
  • Microsoft
  • BAI capital

ClearMotion Overview

About ClearMotion

ClearMotion is a greater Boston-area developer of active suspension systems and proactive road-sensing technology for vehicles, stemming from MIT research with an additional site in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The hardware-software combination reduces motion on uneven roads, enhancing passenger comfort in automotive applications worldwide via clearmotion.com.


Founded

2009

HQ

United StatesLowell, MA

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Product sales

ClearMotion Funding History

ClearMotion has raised a total of $390M across 7 funding rounds.

ClearMotion's first fundraising round was a $6M Series A in December 2013. The most recent completed round was a $32M undisclosed-stage round in May 2023.

ClearMotion funding rounds

ClearMotion funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
May 2023Undisclosed stageLiberty Street Funds; NewView Capital; Acadia Woods Partners; NIO Capital; BAI capital$32MClearMotion is a software-defined chassis company founded from MIT in 2009 that commercializes active suspension technology to improve ride quality and in-car experience in electric vehicles. The company's flagship product is the ClearMotion1 (CM1) system, a high-bandwidth active suspension that works to cancel unwanted motion inside vehicles, improving both comfort and safety. On May 23, 2023, ClearMotion announced a $32 million Series D - III investment led by NewView Capital, with participation from Acadia Woods Partners, BAI Capital, NIO Capital, and Liberty Street Funds. This round represented a significant milestone as the company simultaneously secured a major production order from an unnamed EV automaker, marking the transition from development to commercialization with plans for global market availability in 2024. The company reported $4 million in revenue for fiscal year 2023.
Mar 2023Undisclosed stage-$43MClearMotion is a Boston-based software-defined chassis company that develops active suspension technology to improve the in-cabin experience for electric and conventional vehicles. The company's flagship ClearMotion1 (CM1) system represents a game-changing advancement in ride quality and vehicle handling, positioning the company at the intersection of automotive technology and consumer experience innovation. In May 2023, ClearMotion announced a $32 million Series D-III investment round led by multiple investors including NewView Capital, Acadia Woods Partners, BAI Capital, NIO Capital, and Liberty Street Funds. This round marked a significant milestone as the company secured a major production order from an unnamed EV automaker, signaling market validation and transition from development to commercial deployment with availability targeted for 2024. The investment followed a $39 million financing round in September 2022 led by NIO Capital, demonstrating sustained investor confidence and the company's progress toward bringing its technology to market.
Sep 2022Undisclosed stageNIO Capital (lead); Putnam Premier IT; NewView Capital; Acadia Woods Partners; BAI capital$39MClearMotion is a Boston-based software-defined chassis company developing CM1, a patented high-bandwidth active suspension technology that cancels unwanted vehicle motion to enhance ride comfort, productivity, safety, and immersive in-car experiences like metaverse applications. The company announced a $39 million financing round on September 7, 2022, led by NIO Capital, with participation from BAI Capital, Franklin Templeton (or Putnam Premier IT), NewView Capital, and Acadia Woods Partners. The funding supports industrialization and a planned 2024 global launch of CM1, including mass production and expansion, particularly in China where ClearMotion is establishing a manufacturing plant near Shanghai. CEO Christian Steinmann highlighted NIO Capital's role in validating their vision and aiding China market entry, amid trends like AR, metaverse, and electrification driving demand for premium vehicle differentiation. NIO Capital's Managing Partner Ian Zhu (or Zhu Yan) emphasized ClearMotion's role in transforming vehicles into mobile living spaces for next-era smart vehicles. ClearMotion reported commercial traction for CM1 at the time of the announcement. The company has raised over $300 million total prior to this round from investors including J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, with subsequent rounds like a $32 million investment in May 2023 from similar investors to secure production.
Jan 2019Series DPutnam Premier IT (lead); Bridgestone; Qualcomm; Microsoft; JPMorgan Asset Management; NewView Capital; World Innovation Lab; Eileses Capital; M12$115MClearMotion is an automotive technology company based in Billerica, Massachusetts, founded in 2009. The company develops active suspension systems and motion control technology for vehicles. The company has grown to over 100 employees.
Feb 2017Series CJPMorgan Chase (lead); Bridgestone; Qualcomm Ventures; Putnam Premier IT; Microsoft; NewView Capital; New Enterprise Associates; World Innovation Lab; Eileses Capital; M12$130MClearMotion is an automotive technology company founded at MIT in 2009 that developed a software-centric, electro-hydraulic technology called the 'activalve,' positioned as the world's first proactive ride system designed to transform how cars ride and handle. The company raised $100 million in Series C preferred stock financing announced on February 1, 2017, bringing total capital raised to approximately $130 million at that time. The round was led by clients advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management with participation from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Qualcomm Ventures, World Innovation Lab (WiL), and Eileses Capital. The financing was intended to support product development, team expansion across the U.S., and growth of data science and machine learning teams. ClearMotion's technology was described as a 'digital chassis' that digitizes the relationship between cars and the road by allowing software to control vehicle dynamics, positioning the company to work with leading automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to enhance the quality of time spent in vehicles.
Nov 2014Series BNewView Capital; New Enterprise Associates; World Innovation Lab; Acadia Woods Partners$25M-
Dec 2013Series ANewView Capital; Acadia Woods Partners$6M-

Who has invested in ClearMotion?

16 investors have backed ClearMotion across its funding rounds, including NewView Capital, Acadia Woods Partners, Putnam Premier IT, World Innovation Lab, New Enterprise Associates and M12.

Lead investors include NIO Capital, Putnam Premier IT and JPMorgan Chase.


ClearMotion Investors

Investors in ClearMotion by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
NewView CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA6ParticipantDec 2013
Acadia Woods PartnersUnited StatesNew York City, NY4ParticipantDec 2013
Putnam Premier ITUnited StatesUnited States3LeadFeb 2017
World Innovation LabUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA3ParticipantNov 2014
BridgestoneJapanTokyo2ParticipantFeb 2017
MicrosoftUnited StatesSeattle, WA2ParticipantFeb 2017
New Enterprise AssociatesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantNov 2014
Eileses CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantFeb 2017
M12United StatesUnited States2ParticipantFeb 2017
NIO CapitalChinaShanghai2LeadSep 2022
BAI capitalChinaBeijing2ParticipantSep 2022
Qualcomm VenturesUnited StatesSan Diego, CA1ParticipantFeb 2017
QualcommUnited StatesSan Jose, CA1ParticipantJan 2019

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by ClearMotion

ClearMotion has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by ClearMotion was on November 15th 2017. ClearMotion acquired Bose Corporation (active motion control unit) for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by ClearMotion

Bose Corporation (active motion control unit)
Description
Bose Corporation is an audio technology leader that develops active motion control systems for automotive applications. Its active suspension technology employs linear electromagnetic motors to provide real-time road adaptation, reducing vibration and improving ride quality in vehicles. Demonstrated in luxury sedans and SUVs through partnerships with automakers like Lexus and Nissan, the system achieves up to 90 percent vibration isolation. Headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, the company maintains research facilities in the United States and Asia. Bose integrates this technology into broader automotive sound solutions, including premium audio systems for brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
HQ CountryUnited States
HQ City
Boston, MA
Deal Date15 Nov 2017
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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ClearMotion Competitors

ClearMotion competitors include listed companies like Mobileye, Tesla, General Motors and Denso, and private ones like Chenzhi Technology and Applied Intuition.

Public and private companies comparable to ClearMotion
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
MobileyeIsraelIsraelPublicly listed$1.9B$140M$6.8B2.7x
Chenzhi TechnologyChinaChongqingPrivate--$265M-
TeslaUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$95B$10B$1.4T13.8x
General MotorsUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$185B$15B$76B1.0x
DensoJapanJapanPublicly listed$48B$6.1B$31B0.7x
Applied IntuitionUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate$415M-$15B36.1x

ClearMotion Public Comps

ClearMotion is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Tesla, Eaton, Mitsubishi, Illinois Tool Works, General Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Heico, Denso, Bridgestone and Michelin.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Tesla$95B$10B15.0x13.8x140.8x97.4x
Eaton$27B$6.2B6.5x5.7x29.1x24.2x
Mitsubishi$122B$8.7B1.2x1.2x17.2x21.8x
Illinois Tool Works$16B$4.6B5.3x5.1x18.4x17.6x
General Motors$185B$15B1.0x1.0x12.1x8.5x
Mahindra & Mahindra$20B$4.1B2.4x3.0x11.9x21.7x
Heico$4.5B$1.2B8.5x7.2x31.2x25.2x
Denso$48B$6.1B0.7x0.7x5.2x5.5x

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Common questions about ClearMotion

When was ClearMotion founded?ClearMotion was founded in 2009.
Where is ClearMotion headquartered?ClearMotion is headquartered in Lowell, MA, United States.
Is ClearMotion publicly listed?No, ClearMotion is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has ClearMotion raised?ClearMotion has raised $390M across 7 funding rounds.
What was ClearMotion's last funding round?ClearMotion's last funding round was a $32M undisclosed-stage round in May 2023.
Who are ClearMotion's investors?ClearMotion's investors include NewView Capital, Acadia Woods Partners, Putnam Premier IT, World Innovation Lab, Bridgestone, Microsoft, New Enterprise Associates, Eileses Capital, M12, NIO Capital and 6 others.
Which companies are comparable to ClearMotion?Companies comparable to ClearMotion include Mobileye, Chenzhi Technology, Tesla, General Motors, Denso and Applied Intuition.
How many companies has ClearMotion acquired?ClearMotion has acquired 1 company, including Bose Corporation (active motion control unit).

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