FORVIA HELLA invests in Distance Technologies and enters strategic development partnership to accelerate industry leading mirrorless 3D AR HUD development

• Market innovation: mirrorless, space-optimized Head-Up Display enhances comfort and safety through augmented reality
• Navigation and context-aware cues are combined with the real environment
• Depth projection on the windshield creates an extended, spatial field of view

9 September 2026 — International automotive supplier FORVIA HELLA and the Finnish start-up Distance Technologies™ have entered into a strategic partnership, supported by an investment through HELLA Ventures. This joint development will bring a mirrorless 3D AR Head-Up Display (HUD) for automotive applications. As a market innovation, it fundamentally extends the display principle of conventional Head-Up Displays: instead of merely projecting simple two-dimensional graphics into the driver’s field of view, the entire view is now augmented with three-dimensional visualizations. Real and virtual content are superimposed so that they are perceived as a consistent image without distracting the driver. In contrast to conventional HUDs that project an image onto the windshield using integrated mirrors, this product approach is mirrorless and thus significantly reduces the required installation space without compromising the 3D AR experience.

FORVIA HELLA contributes market-leading expertise in vehicle electronics and lighting with optical technologies to the partnership. FORVIA HELLA has proven development and industrialization competencies bringing complex technologies to the automotive market. Distance Technologies™ is a technology leader in AI-based, patented computational optics and 3D light field technology, bringing strong embedded software expertise to the development partnership.

All relevant information in the direct field of view

Based on 3D AR Head-Up Displays, complex information can now be shown in the field of view as if it were part of the real environment. For example, context-related environmental and driving information – such as dynamic navigation cues highlighting target roads, lane guidance, the exit to take, or hazard information – can be embedded precisely on the roadway within the driver’s real field of view. With a virtual 3D AR canvas, the applications to use the 3D AR HUD to display information are more flexible to the needs of the OEM and are able to be updated via software. The three-dimensional depth projection creates a virtual space in which entertainment formats can be provided specifically for passengers; video-based communication services are also possible for passengers – and, in scenarios of highly automated driving, for the driver as well. 

“With the space-optimized 3D AR Head-Up Display, we not only expand our product portfolio with a new, future-oriented technology, but also advance the development of digital and sustainable cockpit experiences,” says Andreas Lütkes, member of the Electronics executive board at FORVIA HELLA. “In the partnership between FORVIA HELLA and Distance Technologies™, leading automotive and industrialization competence is combined with advanced hardware and software expertise. This enables functions that project relevant driving information spatially and precisely into the field of view without distracting or fatiguing the driver. The result: a clear increase in safety, comfort, and intuitive interaction. The collaboration is therefore an important step in significantly shaping future user experiences.”

“The revolutionary 3D light field technology from Distance is at the center of our partnership with FORVIA HELLA, as we work together to bring a new generation of AR HUDs into series production. This collaboration – further strengthened by the investment from HELLA Ventures in Distance Technologies™ – enables us to move from merely displaying information to introducing visual intelligence into the physical world. This is how the cockpit of the future becomes reality: by delivering the safest and most natural visual experience, which evolves over time to rethink the world – as seen through a car’s windshield,” says Urho Konttori, co-founder and CEO of Distance Technologies™.

About FORVIA HELLA

FORVIA HELLA is a listed international automotive supplier. As a company of the FORVIA Group, FORVIA HELLA stands for high-performance lighting technology and vehicle electronics and, with the Lifecycle Solutions Business Group, also covers a broad service and product portfolio for the spare parts and workshop business as well as for manufacturers of special vehicles. With currently around 34,000 employees at over 125 locations, the company is active worldwide and generated adjusted sales of €8.0 billion in the fiscal year 2025.

About FORVIA

FORVIA, a global automotive technology supplier, comprises the complementary technology and industrial strengths of Faurecia and HELLA. With over 137,500 people, including more than 12,000 R&D engineers across 40+ countries, FORVIA provides a unique and comprehensive approach to the automotive challenges of today and tomorrow. Composed of 6 business groups and a strong IP portfolio of over 12,000 patents, FORVIA is focused on becoming the preferred innovation and integration partner for OEMs worldwide. In 2025, the Group achieved consolidated sales of €26.2 billion. FORVIA SE is listed on the Euronext Paris market under the FRVIA mnemonic code and is a component of the CAC SBT 1.5° indice. FORVIA aims to be a change maker committed to foreseeing and making the mobility transformation happen.

About Distance Technologies

Distance Technologies Ltd (Helsinki) is Europe’s counterpart to the new wave of defense and dual-use technology platforms focused on delivering superhuman perception. We build the world’s most advanced computational optics, AI-driven lightfield systems and visual intelligence for defense, automotive, and aerospace use cases. 

Our technology turns periscopes, windshields, helmet mounts, or even handheld devices into a transparent mixed-reality sensor that fuses hyperspectral/multispectral data, thermal imagery, and 3D lightfields into a single infinite-depth HUD – merging mission-critical data seamlessly with the real world. The result: enhanced safety, faster situational awareness, decisive action, greater survivability and superior maneuverability in any environment. Designed to meet the highest standards of European sovereignty and operational safety, Distance delivers the perception layer that goes the distance — on the battlefield and in everyday usage alike.