Mobileye

Mobileye is an Israeli subsidiary of Intel that develops self-driving cars and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Mobileye headquarters and main Research & Development centre is located in Jerusalem operating under the company name Mobileye Vision Technology Ltd. The company also has sales and marketing offices in Midtown, Manhattan, US; Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan and Düsseldorf, Germany.
In March 2017, Intel announced that they had agreed to a US$15.3 billion takeover of Mobileye. This is the largest acquisition of an Israeli company to date.
History.
Mobileye N.V. was founded in 1999, by Amnon Shashua (a researcher of the Hebrew University), when he evolved his academic research into a technical solution for a vision system which could detect vehicles using only a camera and software algorithms on a processor. 
At first, the company developed algorithms, and a custom accelerator processor chip called the "EyeQ" chip. All of Mobileye's proprietary image processing algorithms run on the EyeQ chip. The company's first clients were automotive manufacturers such as BMW, General Motors and Volvo. These companies electronics suppliers integrated Mobileye's technologies into the companies' cars, at first as an optional accessory when buying a new car, and later as a standard option in new cars.
In August 2015, Tesla Motors announced that it is using Mobileye's technology to enable its self-drive solution, which would be incorporated into Model S cars from August 2015. After the first deadly crash of a self-driving Model S with active "Autopilot" became public in June 2016, Mobileye issued a statement that its technology won't be able to recognize a crossing trailer (which was the cause of the accident) until 2018. In July 2016, Mobileye announced the end of its partnership with Tesla after the EyeQ3.
In January 2017, Mobileye, BMW and Intel announced that they were developing a test fleet of autonomous vehicles that would be on the road in the second half of 2017. The companies plan to develop autonomous vehicles for the consumer market by 2021. In March 2017, Intel announced their intention to buy Mobileye for $15.3 billion. The deal was completed August 8, with Rothschild & Co and Citigroup as financial advisors to Intel and Raymond James advising Mobileye.
On 29 October 2018, Intel, Mobileye's parent company, released plans to commercialize Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) in Israel. In the press briefing, Volkswagen Group was announced as the automobile supplier, with Mobileye implementing self-driving capabilities and Israeli car distributor Champion Motors providing fleet support and operations.
Technology.
The firm's technology is based on the use of optical vision systems with motion detection algorithms running on a custom hardware accelerator the EyeQ chip. This is unlike many other competing systems which use a combination of visual detection, radar, and laser scanning. The firm's vehicle detection algorithms recognize motorised vehicles such as cars, motorcycles and trucks, in day and night time conditions. The firm's version performs its vehicle detection based functions using a single camera mounted in the rear view mirror, unlike the usual approach of using radars, laser scanners or in some cases stereo-cameras.
In 2011, the firm introduced the world's first OEM production of vision-only forward collision warning system (NHTSA compliant) on multiple BMW, GM and Opel vehicles.
The firm’s version of lane departure warning systems was launched in multiple production platforms through 2007 and 2008 with GM, BMW and Volvo.
The firm's pedestrian detection technology is based on the use of mono cameras only, using pattern recognition and classifiers with image processing and optic flow analysis. The firm announced in 2008 that by mid-2010 they would launch a world's first application of full emergency braking for collision mitigation for pedestrians. Mobileye announced in May 2009 as part of the next generation Volvo radar-vision fusion system which also provides lane departure warning and vehicle detection with radar-vision fusion for an enhanced collision mitigation by braking system on the next Volvo S60 vehicle.
Since 2008, BMW 7-Series cars have been equipped with the Mobileye traffic sign recognition systems, developed in cooperation with automotive supplier Continental AG.
Adaptive highbeam systems automatically raise and lower the high beams without inconveniencing oncoming or preceding traffic. The firm's version, Intelligent Headlight Control, is in production on the BMW 7 series.
In 2011, the firm introduced multi-functional bundles including vision based FCW on the Opel Zafira and Opel Insignia.
In 2016, Mobileye announced a deal to work with Renault Nissan on digital maps that will help the automaker's move towards driverless cars.
In September 2020, Mobileye signed a long-term agreement with Geely for advanced driver-assistance systems. The deal ensures that more Geely Auto vehicles will be equipped with Mobile's computer vision technology such as the Mobileye SuperVision™ surround-view advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) which will be used in the company's new premium electric vehicle called Zero Concept.
Aftermarket.
Since 2007 the firm has offered a range of aftermarket vision based ADAS systems, based on the same core technology as for production models. They currently offer lane departure warning, forward collision warning, headway monitoring and warning, intelligent headlamp control and speed limit indication (tsr). These systems have also been integrated with fleet management systems.
Investments.
Between 2007 and 2011, the company raised $160 million. In 2013, the company sold 25% of its private shares for $400 million to a group of blue-chip investors. One of Mobileye's biggest investors was Colmobil CEO Shmuel Harlap, who held a 7.2% stake. Following the Intel acquisition, he joined co-founders Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram in the ranks of Israeli billionaires.
Controversy.
In late March 2017, Reuters reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had charged two Israelis with engaging in insider trading, prior to the announcement of the acquisition of Mobileye by Intel. According to the report, Ariel Darvasi was accused of making a profit of over $400,000, and Amir Waldman was accused of profiting more than $4 million. The case was filed in federal court in New York City (the "New York Court"). Neither Intel nor Mobileye were accused by the SEC of violating the law. Within days the SEC obtained an emergency court order, freezing certain assets of Virginia residents Lawrence F. Cluff, Jr. and Roger E. Shaoul who allegedly used insider information to make approximately $1 million on Intel’s purchase of Mobileye.
In July 2017, Darvasi announced that he was fighting pancreatic cancer and had settled the charges with the SEC. 
In September 2017, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz speculated that the addition of Cluff and Shaoul as defendants raised the "possibility" that Mobileye founders Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram may be eventually named as well. That did not happen.
In November 2017, the SEC filed a motion with a New York court for assistance from Israel in taking evidence from four Israeli witnesses concerning the allegations of insider trading. The request was eventually increased to five Israeli witnesses. 
In early December 2017, the Israeli news outlet The Marker reported that Waldman flew to Canada to provide information to the SEC to try to convince it to drop the case. The report in The Marker also stated that it is expected that the questioning of the Israeli witnesses would be done by the Israeli Securities Authority. That did not happen. The SEC asked the New York court to request of the Israeli court to appoint American-Israeli lawyer Eric Sherby to take evidence from the Israeli witnesses.
In order to keep the asset order in place, in December 2017, the SEC filed (among other things) an expert affidavit of Joseph Mason. Mason testified that he reviewed the trading records of Waldman and concluded from those records that Waldman was targeting "something that is nonpublic that he expects to occur before March 17," 2017; the offer by Intel was announced on March 13. Mason also analyzed the trading records of defendant Lawrence Cluff. According to Mason, "the purchase of Mobileye options in the Cluff accounts shared similar unusual and risk characteristics as those purchased by Waldman." On behalf of Waldman, an expert affidavit was submitted by Garrick Tsui. Tsui conceded that Waldman's February and March 2017 Mobileye option purchases "were significantly greater than at any time in the past." 
In papers filed by the SEC in May 2018, the SEC informed the New York Court that two out of the five Israeli witnesses had testified in Israel pursuant to the Supplemental Request, and the SEC asserted that it had obtained from the first two Israeli witnesses "valuable evidence" relating to the insider trading allegations. On the other hand, counsel for Waldman asserted in court papers filed a few weeks later that the two Israeli witnesses had provided "exculpatory" testimony regarding the insider trading allegations.
In November 2019, the Israeli press reported a settlement involving two defendants, but the amount of the settlement was not reported. The press report again speculated that Mobileye's founders "could potentially be facing lawsuits of their own." Again, that did not happen.
The SEC issued a press release in April 2020, announcing that it obtained a final judgement against the "last" defendant in the Mobileye insider trading case. Waldman was ordered to pay disgorgement in the amount of $1,078,300, prejudgment interest in the amount of $40,889, and a civil penalty in the amount of $1,078,300.