China-based automotive software company Wuhan Kotei Informatics Co. is putting down roots in North America through a joint venture, as software takes on an ever more prominent role in an industry once dominated by hardware.
Koteitsp opened the doors at its inaugural office in Toronto this January. The location now totals about 40 staff and will serve as the company’s North American headquarters. But Koteitsp is already planning to expand to offices in Michigan and California as it builds its business in the region by leveraging Kotei’s existing relationships in Asia with global automakers, Wills added.
Kotei, which has roots in Japan but is now based in China, tackles software development projects for a range of automakers and Tier 1 suppliers in Asia, including China-based automakers Chery, SAIC and Great Wall Motor, as well as the local units of global automakers such as Honda and Nissan.