Backed by Volvo, Israeli driver safety startup nabs $7.25 million in fresh capital

CorrActions, an Israeli startup that monitors driver behavior using AI-based brain activity technology to prevent accidents, said Tuesday it has secured $7.25 million in Series A funding led by the tech fund of car manufacturer Volvo.

The funding round was joined by BlackBerry, alongside venture capital firms Next Gear Ventures, Mobilitech Capital, Regah Ventures, OurCrowd, NextLeap Ventures and Stone Ventures.

Founded in 2019 by Dr. Eldad Hochman, a neuropsychologist, together with entrepreneur Zvi Ginosar, the Tel Aviv-based startup has developed AI-based software that detects abnormalities in the cognitive state of drivers and passengers. Using existing human-motion sensors from devices in vehicles such as the steering wheel, touch screen or joysticks, the software analyzes micro-muscle movements to monitor brain activity.

CorrActions says that by tracking these movements through the deployment of its proprietary machine learning algorithms various cognitive states, including driving under the influence of alcohol, fatigue, stress or anxiety, can be detected.

The system can detect cognitive changes in the driver’s state of mind minutes before any visible signs appear and has an over 90 percent detection accuracy with zero false positives, according to the startup.

The idea is that automakers or fleets implementing the motion-based monitoring software in vehicles can use the platform to track drivers’ cognitive states and instruct the system to act to limit the speed, increase braking distance or change the drivers’ route.

About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers,  according to data by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2021, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths, an increase of 14% from 2020.

“With the support of our strategic investors, including Volvo Cars and BlackBerry, we are poised to further drive the adoption of our solution in production vehicles,” said CorrActions CEO Ilan Reingold. “By detecting abnormalities in drivers’ and passengers’ cognitive states, we aim to significantly enhance road safety and revolutionize the driving experience.”

The deployment of the technology does not require automakers to implement additional sensors or cameras.

CorrActions, which has tested its technology with car manufacturers including Hyundai and Volkswagen, said earlier this year that it is hoping to commercially deploy the system into vehicles in 2025.