Geely's Volvo Cars has invested in what it described as "two promising Israeli technology start-ups" through its venture capital investment arm.
One is involved in medical equipment and techniques, the other in new inspection technology which could find its way into vehicle assembly plants and other applications.
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By GlobalDataUVeye and MDGo are based in Tel Aviv where the automaker has been involved with Drive, a so-called accelerator for new mobility sector companies, since 2017.
These are the Volvo Tech Fund's first investments outside the US and Europe.
MDGo specialises in medical artificial intelligence using machine learning technology which will combine real time data from the car during an accident with medical knowledge, with the aim to make automated early and immediate predictions on the type of injuries emergency personnel are likely to encounter at the scene of the accident.
This data would be transmitted to trauma physicians and emergency personnel via the cloud to improve treatment of people involved in an accident. The technology is said to have potential to reduce the likelihood of complications, serious injuries and fatalities.
UVeye, has developed technology for automatic external inspection and scanning of cars for damage, dents and scratches. Volvo is considering using it for full exterior inspections of cars at the end of production lines, saying it could further improve quality and ensure even tiny faults are detected.
A first pilot starts later this year at the Volvo car factory in Torslanda, Sweden.
The technology could also be used during the various steps of the logistics flow and at retailers.
UVeye said it now had commercial relationships with several tier 1 global auto manufacturers, "providing a visible path to become the global standard for vehicle inspection".
The Volvo Cars investment is part of an additional $31m in fund raising, with Toyota Tsusho, and W R Berkley Corporation also opening chequebooks.
The company sees its technology also appealing to retailers and rental car companies for automatic vehicle inspection.
It claims its drive-through systems can detect external and mechanical flaws and identify anomalies, modifications or foreign objects – both along the undercarriage and around the exterior of the vehicle.
The scanning process completes within a matter of seconds and can be used throughout the entire life cycle of the vehicle.
Toyota Tsusho also plans to use UVeye's inspection systems at various sites supporting distribution to used car centres, and throughout the Japanese vehicle market.
Daimler and Skoda also plan use.
Mike Nannizzi, director of Fintech investments at W R Berkley Corporation, said: "When we made our initial investment in UVeye two years ago, we believed its system could have game-changing impact within security and inspection applications globally."
