AUSTIN, TX — March 10, 2019 — Derq Inc., an artificial-intelligence (AI) company, which delivers innovative road safety solutions that help eliminate crashes and save lives, today announced the company took home first prize for Artificial Intelligence at the 11th annual SXSW Pitch® (formerly SXSW Accelerator), the marquee event of South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festival’s (March 8-17, 2019) Entrepreneurship & Startups Track.
The World Health Organization estimates that there are 1.35 million traffic fatalities every year due to largely preventable crashes. Derq, an MIT spin-off and Techstars Mobility alum, is working closely with the automotive industry, state and local governments, and intelligent transportation systems providers to drastically reduce this number. In its active deployments in Dubai and Detroit, Derq’s software monitors vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, and other vulnerable road user interactions to predict and prevent collisions, creating up to two additional seconds of warning-time for drivers and vehicles.
SXSW Pitch honored 10 of the world’s most exciting innovations in categories including Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Enterprise & Smart Data, Entertainment & Content, Health & Wearables, Hyper-Connected Communities, Social & Culture, Sports & Performance Data, and Transportation & Delivery.
“We are honored to be recognized for our work in Artificial Intelligence to reduce road accidents and save lives,” said Dr. Georges Aoude, Co-Founder & CEO of Derq. “Derq partners with leading government and technology agencies to make roads safer and smarter across the globe. We believe this award shines an important light on the challenges facing drivers and road owners / operators, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to making roads safer across the globe.”
During Derq’s pitch, Dr. Aoude highlighted how Derq’s patented and award-winning algorithms analyze roadside sensor data in real-time to predict dangerous situations with enough time to warn drivers. Dr. Aoude shared how Derq’s applications focus on detecting, classifying, and tracking the movements of all road users – vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and scooters – and how Derq’s proprietary algorithms predict the behaviors and intentions of these road users in order to better inform the decisions of all drivers. In addition to driving “active safety,” Derq provides road owners / operators with advanced understanding of road usage and behaviors to help inform road management and design. Derq is currently live in both Dubai and Michigan, where its applications will benefit both conventional and autonomous vehicles.
"For more than a decade, we’ve had the pleasure of watching the leading startups of today and tomorrow successfully capture the attention of investors, partners and prospective customers – giving innovative CEOs the added boost and confidence they sometimes need to exceed the goals they've set for themselves and their teams,” said SXSW Pitch Event Producer Chris Valentine. “This year’s winners showcase the best of the best when it comes to delivering cutting-edge solutions that inspire change in their respective industries and change around the world. Our team at SXSW Pitch has been left inspired and impressed, and we look forward to witnessing their future successes.”
For more information about SXSW Pitch and to view the complete list of winners, visit: https://www.sxsw.com/pitch
About Derq
Derq is mission-driven to reduce road accidents and save lives by using artificial intelligence and V2X technology. Through its proprietary technology Derq can predict and help prevent road collisions for both conventional and autonomous vehicles by leveraging smart city and connected vehicle ecosystems. Derq was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Dubai and Michigan. To learn more, visit: www.derq.com, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Derq is a trademark of Derq Inc.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2019 will take place March 8-17.
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