Derq
Techstars '17Dubai, AE · Founded 2016 · 83 employees on LinkedIn · 8 known investors
Derq develops AI-powered intelligent transportation systems for road safety and smart cities, working with government agencies and transportation authorities. The company helps agencies understand road user behavior, prevent collisions, and build sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Also known as Derq Inc.
Founders & leadership
Derq was founded in 2016 by Dr. Georges Aoude, Karl Jeanbart, and Amer Abufadel.
Investors · 8
Also in the syndicate · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Derq is an intelligent transportation systems company that applies computer vision, machine learning and sensor fusion to intersection and corridor traffic data so that transportation agencies can detect, track, classify and predict road user behavior in real time. Founded in 2016 as an MIT spinoff, the company originally focused on artificial intelligence and V2X (vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure) communication to warn drivers of imminent conflicts, such as a vehicle about to run a red light, and has since built out a broader platform for traffic detection, safety analytics and V2X applications.
The product line comprises three main offerings. Derq SENSE is an edge-based video detection system that runs on new or existing fisheye and bullet cameras and interfaces with most modern traffic controllers, providing stop bar and advance detection up to 600 feet, real-time speed, position, presence and classification data, and safety-oriented signal actuation features such as pedestrian surge extension, dilemma zone protection, red light extension and dynamic left turn. It classifies vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, mobility aid users, personal mobility devices) as well as a range of vehicle classes, and is designed to hold up in low light, heavy rain and snow, sun glare, fog and occlusion. Derq INSIGHT is a cloud, on-premises edge or hybrid analytics platform that automatically detects safety events including near misses between vehicles and vulnerable road users, red light and pedestrian signal violations, wrong-way driving, illegal crossings and turning movements, stopped vehicles and crashes (beta), and pairs them with video evidence, heatmaps, severity analysis and configurable safety scores. It also produces traffic performance data (counts, classification, peak hour, turning movements, speed distribution) and automatic traffic signal performance measures such as arrivals on red, delay, occupancy, density and estimated queue length. A third product line covers V2X applications for proactive collision prevention involving vulnerable road users.
The platform is positioned as hardware-agnostic and modular, compatible with video detection, CCTV and radar sensors, traffic controllers and V2X technologies, with reporting through Derq's dashboard or APIs into third-party systems. Derq states it is SOC 2 Type II compliant and holds more than 20 patents.
Founding story
Derq was founded in 2016 as an MIT spinoff by Dr. Georges Aoude (CEO), Dr. Amer Abufadel (CTO) and Karl Jeanbart, P.Eng. (COO). The founding premise, as presented by Aoude at Techstars Mobility Demo Day, drew an analogy to aviation: aircraft avoid collisions because they communicate with each other and with a central controller, and Derq set out to bring equivalent vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to roads. The founders are alumni of MIT, Georgia Tech, IIT and McGill with prior experience at Ford, Siemens, NASA and government agencies in the U.S., Canada and the Middle East.
Business model
Derq sells its detection and analytics platform to public-sector transportation owners and operators, deploying edge processors and cameras at intersections alongside a subscription-style dashboard and API access, with on-premises edge, cloud and hybrid deployment options. Delivery is partly through channel and technology partners, including a Canadian partner, Tacel, and an agreement to integrate Derq's transportation intelligence into AT&T's Intelligent Transportation Platform. In its early years the company also targeted contracts with OEMs, fleet operators, tier one suppliers and ITS integrators.
Sources describe agency contracts and deployments of hardware plus a dashboard/API software platform, and earlier plans to pursue contracts with OEMs, fleet operators, tier one suppliers and ITS integrators; specific pricing or contract values are not disclosed.
Traction
Reported traction includes live deployments across the U.S., Canada and the GCC; a contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation covering 95 sites around MetLife Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup; deployment with partner Tacel at 100 Montreal intersections; more than 20 patents; 99.83% multimodal detection accuracy in FDOT APL 2024-2025 testing; selection as a USDOT Intersection Safety Challenge winner; and a directory-reported 25+ deployments across 16 U.S. states and the GCC. Early traction included a live pilot at Dubai Silicon Oasis and claimed prediction of 9 out of 10 violations and potential accidents.
Latest developments
In June 2026 Derq announced a commercial collaboration with AT&T to integrate its transportation intelligence into AT&T's Intelligent Transportation Platform, expanding a relationship that began with AT&T's strategic investment in late 2024. Also in June 2026, Montreal contracted Derq and Canadian partner Tacel to deploy AI traffic systems at 100 intersections, and Derq was reported to be supporting an NJDOT ITS upgrade across 95 sites around MetLife Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Earlier in 2026 the company presented a next-generation version of its INSIGHT platform at Intertraffic.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Derq positions itself as an award-winning, hardware-agnostic provider of intersection safety and traffic intelligence for public agencies pursuing Vision Zero objectives, with deployments in the U.S., Canada and the GCC and recognition as a USDOT Intersection Safety Challenge winner. A Dubai startup directory characterizes it as having moved past proof-of-concept with 25+ deployments and corporate backing, while noting competitive pressure from larger incumbents entering connected intersection intelligence.
Stated differentiators include hardware-agnostic compatibility with existing cameras, radar, traffic controllers and V2X equipment rather than proprietary sensors; multimodal detection covering vulnerable road users and a wide set of vehicle classes rather than vehicles only; intent prediction and near-miss analysis that surface risk without waiting for years of historical crash data; resilience in low visibility, adverse weather and occlusion; reported 99.83% multimodal detection accuracy in FDOT APL 2024-2025 testing; a patent portfolio of more than 20 patents; and SOC 2 Type II compliance.
Technology
Proprietary and patented computer vision, machine learning and sensor fusion for road user detection, classification, multi-sensor tracking and intent prediction. Processing is performed at the edge on a ruggedized fanless NEMA TS2-compliant in-cabinet processor supporting PoE, serial, hardwire DIO and LTE connectivity, common controller interfaces and configurable detection zones, paired with 360-degree fisheye or 4K bullet cameras with night vision. Models use edge processing to filter visual noise and temporal tracking to maintain classification through degraded line-of-sight, and the system supports on-premises edge, cloud and hybrid deployment with a cloud dashboard. The company reports 20+ patents and SOC 2 Type II compliance.
Go-to-market
Direct sales to transportation agencies via demo requests and pilot deployments, supported by memoranda of understanding with government authorities, complemented by partner and reseller channels (Tacel in Canada) and platform integration with a carrier partner (AT&T's Intelligent Transportation Platform). The company also uses industry events such as Intertraffic for product launches, competitive recognition such as the USDOT Intersection Safety Challenge, and an advisory board of former agency and industry executives.
Transportation agencies and government bodies, including state departments of transportation (for example the New Jersey Department of Transportation), municipalities such as Montreal, and Gulf-region authorities such as Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, Smart Dubai Office and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority. Early commercial targets also included automotive OEMs, tier one suppliers, fleet operators and ITS solution integrators.
Geography
Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with a U.S. office opened in Detroit in 2017 that served as U.S. headquarters; 2026 press coverage describes the company as Ann Arbor, Michigan-based and datelines a partnership announcement from Detroit. Technology is deployed in the U.S., Canada and the GCC, including Dubai Silicon Oasis, 100 intersections in Montreal and 95 sites around MetLife Stadium in New Jersey; a directory listing cites 25+ deployments across 16 U.S. states and the GCC.
History
The company was founded in 2016 and headquartered in Dubai, and graduated from the Techstars Mobility accelerator in Detroit in 2017. In October 2017 it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Smart Dubai Office, the Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority to deploy its collision prediction technology on Dubai Silicon Oasis roads and tram crossings, and announced a $1.5 million seed round used to grow the Dubai team, open a Detroit office as its U.S. headquarters and expand its patent portfolio. AT&T made a strategic investment in Derq in late 2024, and a Dubai startup directory records a further undisclosed round in October 2024 associated with e& Capital. By 2026 the company was described as Ann Arbor, Michigan-based, with technology live in the U.S., Canada and the GCC, and had been named a winner of the USDOT Intersection Safety Challenge.
Risks & controversies
Commentary in a startup directory identifies competitive risk from large incumbents such as Siemens, Cisco and Mobileye entering connected intersection intelligence, and notes that the company's disclosed capital raised is small relative to the scale of the infrastructure opportunity, making deployment speed and government relationships decisive. The business depends on public-sector procurement and, given camera-based monitoring of road users, on data security and privacy assurances, which the company addresses via SOC 2 Type II compliance.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 4
by search overlap
Companies competing with Derq for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 9
launches, deals, and filingsMontreal contracted Derq and its Canadian partner Tacel to install technology providing real-time traffic data at 100 intersections, shifting the city toward proactive real-time safety monitoring.
Derq announced a collaboration with AT&T to integrate Derq's transportation intelligence into AT&T's Intelligent Transportation Platform for cities and agencies, expanding an earlier investor relationship into commercial collaboration.
Derq is supporting an Intelligent Transportation Systems upgrade across 95 sites surrounding MetLife Stadium as part of a New Jersey Department of Transportation effort to prepare roadway infrastructure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with more than 1 million visitors expected in the New York-New Jersey region.
Derq presented a next-generation version of its INSIGHT platform with predictive analytics for real-time road safety at Intertraffic 2026.
AT&T made a strategic investment in Derq in late 2024, later expanded into a commercial collaboration.
Derq announced $1.5 million in seed funding, from Techstars, angel investors and family offices, to grow its Dubai team, open a U.S. office in Detroit and further develop its proprietary technology.
$1.5M source ↗
After graduating from the Techstars Mobility accelerator in Detroit, Derq opened a Detroit office to serve as its U.S. headquarters.
Derq signed a memorandum of understanding with the Smart Dubai Office, the Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority to implement its AI collision prediction and prevention technology on Dubai Silicon Oasis roads and other areas including tram crossings, and to collaborate on connected vehicle road safety and big data analysis.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Derqderq.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Derq do?
- MIT spinoff building AI-powered intelligent transportation systems that detect road users and prevent intersection collisions.
- Who founded Derq?
- Derq was founded by Dr. Georges Aoude, Karl Jeanbart, Amer Abufadel in 2016.
- Who are Derq's investors?
- Derq's investors include Doon Capital, Phoenician VC, Presight, Techstars, Wamda Capital, Propeller Inc..
- Where is Derq headquartered?
- Derq is headquartered in Dubai, AE.