UK transport and smart city technology company VivaCity has raised £7m to fuel its expansion into North America.

VivaCity’s artificial intelligence sensors gather accurate, detailed and anonymous data on transport modes, traffic flow and travel patterns, supporting decisions to help optimise the transport network and improve urban infrastructure.

Major new contracts this year include Nottingham City Council, which is installing VivaCity’s sensors city-wide to understand how different transport mode volumes affect pollution levels. Data from VivaCity’s sensors also played an instrumental role in Barnet Council’s successful levelling-up bid. The £29.5m investment will be used for the redevelopment of Colindale tube station in London.

When it comes to VivaCity’s North America expansion, the team has been conducting a pilot project with the New York City Department of Transportation (DoT), with sensors installed in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The DoT is assessing how to use these data to prioritise projects for areas most in need of safety and other improvements, while simultaneously helping New York understand how people are using the city’s streets.

This year could be pivotal for VivaCity, with the launch of a portfolio targeting products that address the three major challenges the industry faces: sustainable transport, road safety and network optimisation to beat congestion.

The funding comes after a year of growth for the company, with VivaCity’s global sensor network approaching 20 billion road user counts. The volume of sensors in the market also increased by 48% over the past year, while 94% of customers renewed their contracts. Alongside continued growth in Australia, the global team has grown by 20% over the past 12 months and moved into larger offices in Shoreditch, London.

In this funding round, sustainable infrastructure VC investor ENV is joining existing investors, alternative assets and SME investment manager Foresight Group and Gresham House Ventures, the growth equity arm of specialist alternative asset manager, Gresham House.

“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,” said Mark Nicholson, CEO of VivaCity.” 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.”

Theodor Schulte, investment manager at ENV, added: “Zero emissions and zero casualties are goals that every city should thrive for. We’re convinced that VivaCity’s talented team and their unique technology will help cities globally to achieve this.”

And Ed Wass, portfolio partner at Gresham House Ventures, said: “We have continued to be impressed by VivaCity’s progress following our first investment in the company and are excited to be injecting further capital to support the next stage of its development internationally. VivaCity’s offering has enormous potential to improve transport systems around the world, and we look forward to working closely with the company in the coming years to enable its continued growth.”

VivaCity makes cities smarter, safer and more sustainable by supporting and empowering authorities with the right transport data at the right time. The company’s artificial intelligence sensors gather accurate, detailed and anonymous data round the clock on transport modes, traffic flow and travel patterns, supporting decisions to help optimise the transport network and improve urban infrastructure.

Cities need to harness technology that provides comprehensive, high-quality insights, especially when it comes to roads and public spaces. When investing in projects to support sustainable travel, road safety and liveable neighbourhoods, these data can be invaluable, enabling more efficient planning, impact monitoring and assessment of a scheme’s success.