Self-driving cars are just the tip of the iceberg — what you're building isn't just China's Google, Uber, and Tesla.

Whether in Detroit or Silicon Valley, people know one thing for certain: despite the string of bad news for autonomous vehicles in recent months — Google's Firefly self-driving car officially retiring after three years of road tests, Tesla's Autopilot system implicated in fatal crashes — automotive technology innovation remains an unstoppable trend. Tech companies dream of cars without pedals, while automakers focus on steadily improving individual features.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

In May, research firm CB Insights released its report The State of Automotive Technology — Venture Investment, Trends, Competitive Landscape, and the Road Ahead. Since 2012, both deal count and investor participation in automotive tech have grown continuously, with investor types becoming increasingly diverse. Corporate venture capital (CVC) dominates, alongside automakers, suppliers, and others.

▲ Funding rounds for automotive tech startups have risen sharply, with 2017 on track to set a new record.

▲ Investor diversity is expanding.

Innovation has cycled back to a technology-driven era. FreeS Fund is dedicated to advancing deep tech in everyday life, with investments spanning AI, semiconductors, healthcare, and energy. Feng Li, founding partner at FreeS Fund, believes that compared to mature internet entrepreneurship, deep tech startups remain in their early days. Investing in this space, he says, "burns through money and talent, but it's fair — it won't stray far from real value, and it's hard to inflate into a bubble."

Automotive technology innovation is a critical form of tech innovation shaping the mobility experience. For innovators in this space, industry perspectives and guidance are invaluable resources. Many technologies born in labs stall on the path to commercialization precisely because they lack these resources. That's why FreeS Fund is partnering with Audi China to participate in the 2017 Audi Innovation Lab competition — to help the best entrepreneurs transform how humans will experience mobility in the future.

If you're an entrepreneur with something to say about the automotive industry, and want early-stage access to perspectives and advice from a top-tier automaker and investment institution, click "Read More" at the end of this article to apply.

Are you ready to innovate?

This year's competition centers on four themes related to the automotive sector: location-based services, big data, digital retail, and mobility services. Participants will compete with bold ideas and explore unlimited possibilities.

Registration officially opened on August 7, with preliminary evaluations already underway. Expert judges will provide professional guidance, while venture capital institutions will jointly assess entries to identify the most innovative business proposals.

For entrepreneurs, the judging panel is undoubtedly the biggest draw. Numerous top-tier investment institutions will join Audi Innovation Lab to explore potential collaboration opportunities with you.

Semifinalists will have the chance to conduct business pilots with Audi. Finalists may receive project funding and internal resources from Audi. Six minutes for your pitch, three minutes for Q&A. Are you ready?

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