Cepton, Inc. Announces Closing of $100 Million Investment from Koito Manufacturing
Cepton, Inc. (“Cepton”) (Nasdaq: CPTN), a Silicon Valley innovator and leader in high performance lidar solutions, announced today the completion of its previously announced $100 million investment (the “Investment”) from its long-term automotive Tier 1 partner and current shareholder, Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (“Koito”) (TSE: 7276) on January 19, 2023. The Investment, in the form of convertible preferred stock, was approved at a special meeting of Cepton stockholders on January 11, 2023, and is convertible, beginning on the first anniversary of the issue date, into shares of Cepton’s common stock at an initial conversion price of $2.585 per share.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230120005052/en/
(Graphic: Business Wire)
“We’re happy to announce the closing of the preferred stock investment as we deepen our partnership with Koito,” said Dr. Jun Pei, Cepton’s Co-Founder and CEO. “We plan to deploy the additional capital to help fund our next stage of growth, continue series production execution, and expand our collaboration efforts towards winning additional automotive OEM programs.”
“We’re excited to have completed our third investment in Cepton, which solidifies our commitment to lidar and increasing automotive safety for drivers worldwide,” said Mr. Michiaki Kato, Koito’s President. “This is an important year for us as we work towards commercialization and scale manufacturing of our lidar products. We have a strong track record with Cepton as a partner and look forward to achieving our mutual goal of becoming the leader within lidar.”
Additional details regarding the close of the Investment will be included in a Form 8-K to be filed by Cepton with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Advisors
ICR Capital LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Cepton and O’Melveny & Myers LLP served as legal counsel to Cepton. SMBC Nikko served as exclusive financial advisor to Koito and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Nishimura & Asahi served as legal counsel to Koito.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “objective,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “milestone,” “designed to,” “proposed” or other similar expressions that predict or imply future events, trends, terms and/or conditions or that are not statements of historical matters. Cepton cautions readers of this press release that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Cepton’s control, that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits of the Investment, including with respect to Cepton’s financial position and ability to execute on commercialization and mass market deployment goals. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Cepton’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Cepton undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
About Cepton
Cepton is a Silicon Valley innovator of lidar-based solutions for automotive (ADAS/AV), smart cities, smart spaces, and smart industrial applications. With its patented lidar technology, Cepton aims to take lidar mainstream and achieve a balanced approach to performance, cost and reliability, while enabling scalable and intelligent 3D perception solutions across industries.
Cepton has been awarded a significant ADAS lidar series production award with Koito on the General Motors business. Cepton is also engaged with all Top 10 global OEMs.
Founded in 2016 and led by industry veterans with decades of collective experience across a wide range of advanced lidar and imaging technologies, Cepton is focused on the mass market commercialization of high performance, high quality lidar solutions. Cepton is headquartered in San Jose, CA and has a center of excellence facility in Troy, MI to provide local support to automotive customers in the Metro Detroit area. Cepton also has a presence in Germany, Canada, Japan, India and China to serve a fast-growing global customer base. For more information, visit www.cepton.com and follow Cepton on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Koito
Under the corporate message, “Lighting for Your Safety”, Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Koito) has been marking a history of leadership in automotive lighting since its establishment in 1915. Today, the Koito Group consists of 31 companies located in 13 countries worldwide and provides products and services to customers all over the world, through the global network led by five major regions (Japan, Americas, Europe, China, and Asia). Its products, recognized for its high quality and advanced technology, are widely used by automotive makers worldwide. The company is responding to the future transformation of mobility through the development of next-generation lighting technologies and related equipment, control systems, and environmentally friendly products, materials, and production methods. For more information, please visit www.koito.co.jp/english.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230120005052/en/
Contact information
Cepton, Inc. Contacts
Investors: InvestorRelations@cepton.com
Media: Faithy Li, media@cepton.com
Koito Manufacturing Contacts
Public Relations Department, kouhou@koito.co.jp
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
True Announces New Investment Partnership with Integrum to Redefine the Future of the Executive Talent Industry18.11.2025 17:33:00 EET | Press release
True, the premier global executive talent platform driving the industry’s tech evolution through data, AI, and expertise, today announced a new strategic investment partnership with Integrum Holdings LP (“Integrum”), a private investment firm focused on partnering with tech-enabled professional services companies. Integrum’s significant investment will power True’s next phase of growth as it helps clients solve their most pressing talent and leadership needs. Since its founding over 12 years ago, True has become a disruptive force in the industry, growing from a boutique into the sixth-largest executive search firm in North America with over $350 million in revenue. True’s organic growth has been fueled by its highly talented professionals and culture of innovation. With a tech-first and entrepreneurial mindset, and focus on transparency, True has reshaped the executive talent landscape. Brad Stadler, co-founder and CEO of True, said, “I knew during our first meeting, the group at Inte
Klarna now available on Apple Pay in Denmark, Spain, and Sweden with France to follow18.11.2025 17:22:00 EET | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, announced today that its flexible payment products are now available when checking out on Apple Pay in Denmark, Spain, Sweden. The launch brings even greater flexibility and transparency to Apple Pay customers in these countries, with Klarna available to eligible users checking out online and in-app with an iPhone or iPad, and in-store on an iPhone. The expansion builds on successful launches of this feature in the US, UK and Canada, where millions of customers have checked out with Klarna through Apple Pay. Klarna is one of the first buy now, pay later providers to be available on Apple Pay in these countries, offering consumers a seamless, flexible way to pay. Customers in France will be able to check out with Klarna on Apple Pay in the coming weeks. “After the fantastic response in the US, UK, and Canada, I’m super excited to bring Klarna on Apple Pay to tens of millions of consumers across Europe,” said Sebastian Siemi
Bitfury Launches $1 Billion Initiative to Advance Ethical Emerging Technologies18.11.2025 17:11:00 EET | Press release
Today, Bitcoin miner turned technology incubator Bitfury announced its pivot to an investment firm with the launch of its $1 billion funding initiative, which seeks to back a new generation of ethical innovators. The firm’s new mission is to close the gap between the accelerating pace of technological progress and the slower evolution of ethical development — a disconnect it sees as a root cause of many global challenges. By supporting mission-driven founders, the company seeks to accelerate ventures that embed ethics, transparency, and human values at the core of emerging technologies. Bitfury’s new chapter as an investment firm builds on its pioneering legacy while expanding its role from technology provider to global catalyst for responsible innovation — ensuring the digital economy develops with integrity and long-term sustainability. Bitfury was originally founded in 2011 as a bitcoin miner, but over the past 15 years has built a legacy as one of the world’s pioneering technology
Interactive Brokers Expands Global Market Access with the Taipei Exchange18.11.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), an automated global electronic broker, announced access to the Taipei Exchange (TPEx), further expanding its global reach. Eligible clients of Interactive Brokers can now trade equities, ETFs, and Taiwan Depositary Receipts (TDRs) listed on TPEx, alongside products from over 160 global exchanges from a single platform. This extends the opportunity set available to global investors seeking Asian exposure, including the growth potential afforded by emerging small and medium-sized companies listed on the TPEx. Interactive Brokers is one of the few global trading platforms connected to TPEx, a leading Asian exchange for shares of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Through TPEx, clients can diversify their portfolios to include emerging, high-tech, and creative industries, as well as SMEs and micro-enterprises across Taiwan’s developing economy. To simplify trading, Interactive Brokers will facilitate TPEx trades with an automatic FX conversion be
Andersen Consulting Enters Collaboration Agreement with Business Meets Culture18.11.2025 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Consulting expands its global reach through a Collaboration Agreement with Business Meets Culture (BMC), a global strategy consultancy with locations in Latin American, Europe, and the U.S. Anchored in cultural intelligence and human insight, BMC specializes in strategy, brand strategy, commercial planning, innovation, and transformation; always. Through proprietary approaches and cross-disciplinary teams, BMC helps companies connect strategy to people by translating trends, behaviors, and business tensions into meaningful opportunities for business growth. The firm works with leading companies in various industries including consumer goods, financial services, telecommunications, technology. “Collaborating with Andersen Consulting allows us to amplify the reach and impact of our culturally grounded strategic work,” said Fernando Parodi, CEO of BMC. “Together, we’re positioned to offer organizations sharper perspective, greater foresight, and actionable strategies that drive s
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom