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Advancing data protection in collective perception: CanaryBit’s story

Thursday, June 13, 2024

With great data comes great responsibility. CanaryBit collaborates with MobilityXlab partners to ensure mobility data is safe and regulation-compliant. 

Stefano Cucchiella, CTO and co-founder of CanaryBit, at Tech Day 2023

Stefano Cucchiella, CTO and co-founder of CanaryBit, at Tech Day 2023. Image: Lindholmen Science Park

As vehicles become increasingly defined by software, they are also turning into sophisticated data collectors, gathering and transmitting vast amounts of information to enhance safety and provide smarter driving experiences. However, with great data comes great responsibility, particularly in ensuring data security and compliance with privacy regulations. This is where MobilityXab portfolio startup CanaryBit steps in, offering solutions for end-to-end data protection.

The startup's innovative approach ensures that data, from its creation to transmission through telecommunication antennas and processing in the cloud or on-premise, remains encrypted and protected against breaches and misuse.

"Confidential data sharing is the cornerstone of our solution," explains Stefano Cucchiella, CTO and co-founder of CanaryBit. "When a car manufacturer, for example, collects data, it is shared using our secure Confidential Cloud platform rather than directly with third-party apps. This method mitigates the risk of data breaches and ensures that raw datasets are not exposed. They retain full control over their data, and can steer control of its usage, all while adhering to data protection regulations."

Advancing Collective Perception

One of the promising applications of CanaryBit's technology is in advancing collective perception, or the ability of vehicles to share information about their surroundings with each other, creating a more comprehensive understanding of the environment. This was one of the areas that CanaryBit and one of MobilityXlab partners explored together in a proof-of-concept (PoC), that has been featured on a demo at CES 2024.

Imagine a scenario where a car can identify a pedestrian around the corner and share that information with the other vehicles, without compromising the person’s privacy. CanaryBit makes this possible by encrypting the data through all the different stages of the communication, ensuring that personal identities, for example, are protected.

“Collective perception is very important for road safety," says Stefano. "Our technology allows vehicles to share critical information about their surroundings securely, enhancing the overall safety of the driving experience."

 "The program offers a unique platform for startups to learn by doing, with direct business generation opportunities. It's an exciting journey that we are proud to be a part of."

Stefano Cucchiella, CTO and co-founder of CanaryBit

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CanaryBit joined MobilityXlab in 2023, as part of batch 10. A startup in the area of cybersecurity, they found in the collaboration platform the opportunity to expand into the mobility sector. "Our collaboration with the partners has been instrumental in refining our solutions to meet the specific needs of the automotive industry," explains Stefano. "Working in this field was not our primary focus initially, but joining the program has provided valuable learnings and opportunities for business generation."

Besides the PoC on collective perception, CanaryBit is also doing validation projects with two other partners in data safety for vehicle communication. But more on that is coming later, in another article. For now, Stefano shares some words for startups considering applying to MobilityXlab. "The program offers a unique platform for startups to learn by doing, with direct business generation opportunities," he says. "It's an exciting journey that we are proud to be a part of."