NEW YORK, April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cortica, one of the leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) software systems, has won the Emerging Tech Fastpitch at the 2018 New York International Auto Show.  Bringing together the best and brightest of the emerging technology world, the Emerging Tech Fastpitch was created to showcase solutions to today's mobility and technology challenges.  This is the second time the event has been held in conjunction with the auto show.

Each of the eight companies were given only five minutes to tell their unique story and convince a panel of judges why their technology had the greatest chance for commercialization and success.  Cortica's victory in the Fastpitch brings it exposure to media, industry experts and potential investors. 

The companies each represented unique and interesting solutions to today's transportation challenges:

• Auto i: Providing 24/7 coverage, Auto i is an advanced vehicle security and surveillance system utilizing a patented software solution
• Axle: Using propriety app technology, Axle pairs transport companies with riders, to minimize travel inconvenience and maximize capacity
• Cortica: Using proprietary brain research and unsupervised-learning technology, Cortica's AI software sees the visual world on a human level
• Motion Intelligence: Motion Intelligence provides software solutions that tackle distracted driving, protect pedestrians, and redefine the connected passenger experience to bridge the gap between traditional and autonomous transportation
• Nervteh: Nervteh has developed technology based on an advanced motion-based driving simulator using professional traffic simulation software capable of replicating a variety of driving environments and scenes
• Point Pickup: Using its Precision Matching System, Point Pickup solves the challenges of the middle- and last-mile on-demand delivery market, and is scalable from individual users to national enterprise companies
• Platform Science: Platform Science replaces legacy telematics solutions with a revolutionary IoT ecosystem designed to unlock the value of disconnected data streams throughout the transportation and logistics industry
• RoadBotics: RoadBotics assesses and rates roadways with a smartphone, vehicle, and cloud-based deep-learning platform, all developed at (and licensed from) Carnegie Mellon University

"We had a great group of companies, and they all impressed us with their creative business models, level of development and understanding of the future of smart transportation.  That said, there always has to be a winner in an event like this, and we chose Cortica," said Steve Girsky, Managing Partner, VectoIQ.  "Cortica showed us a unique approach to artificial intelligence that allows their systems to think closer to the way humans do than any application before.  This is the most advanced AI system we've seen yet, and gets us one step closer to the autonomous future that's been such a point of conversation throughout this year's New York Auto Show."

Judges for the Fastpitch were veterans of the venture capital and start-up technology worlds, and included Murat Aktihanoglu, Co- Founder, Managing Partner, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator;  Mark Joseph, Global Development Officer,  Former CEO North America, Transdev; Dawn Manley, Strategy, Business Development Chief of Staff, Samsung; Mary Chan, Managing Partner, VectoIQ; and Steve Girsky, Managing Partner, VectoIQ.

"As this year's New York Auto Show is a showcase for the trends driving the auto industry, with multiple international vehicle debuts focusing on the future of mobility through electric vehicles and varying levels of autonomy and driver-support systems, it's a natural match for the Emerging Tech Fastpitch to be a cornerstone of our event," added Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.  "Thanks to the relentless pace of new technology, we're seeing solutions to today's transportation problems that would have been unthinkable only five years ago.  My congratulations to Cortica for winning this year's Fastpitch."

The New York Auto Show is a unique combination of new automotive ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks—all under one roof.  Visitors have the opportunity to see all the newest trends in the auto industry, including high-performance sports cars, crossover SUVs, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, and the coming trend toward autonomous technology.  Over one million visitors are expected to visit the show this year to see what is truly possible from the auto industry.

SOURCE New York International Auto Show