London's VivaCity raises £7 million to fuel AI-driven traffic optimisation across North America

London's VivaCity recently celebrated a pretty major milestone. Its road sensors driven by AI, which allow urban authorities to understand how transport is flowing, were recently triggered for the 20 billionth occasion.

North America has plenty of its own transport tech pioneers, but that hasn't affected the team's enthusiasm to garner business across the Atlantic.

To make good on those plans VivaCity raised £7 million led by a German public traded energy utility, EnBW,  through its sustainability innovation wing EnBW New Ventures, with further commitments from Foresight Group and Gresham House Ventures.

A US collaboration with the New York City Department of Transportation led to three NY boroughs deploying VivaCity's sensors, in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

With the department now considering how to realise improved citizen outcomes from the sensor data, VivaCity admits 2023 could turn out to be a "pivotal" year.

The sensor platform is driven by three product iterations, tailored to sustainable transport, road safety, and network optimisation.

Mark Nicholson, VivaCity CEO and co-founder, commented: "The investment from ENV, Foresight Group and Gresham House Ventures will support us in our mission to optimise transport networks and improve urban infrastructure, increasing both the safety and sustainability of our roads."

On its home turf, VivaCity secured commissions from Nottingham City Council to reduce urban pollution by monitoring traffic flows and a London contract in Barnet as part of redeveloping the local metro station's infrastructure.

Company officials say most customers are renewing their contracts, with 94% keeping the tech once it's been actioned. Aside from North America, operations in Australia have also grown while the global team is stronger following a 20% increase in headcount over the past 12 months. Tech.eu tracked its £5 million round in February 2021.

VivaCity CEO and co-founder Mark Nicholson commented: "The investment from ENV, Foresight Group and Gresham House Ventures will support us in our mission to optimise transport networks and improve urban infrastructure, increasing both the safety and sustainability of our roads. 

"Our growth over the past year is a testament to our hard working team, and we look forward to the opportunities that 2023 will bring, especially when it comes to expanding our product suite and continuing our international expansion.”