For San Francisco-based startup Point One Navigation, the value of “location, location, location” extends well beyond real estate. And investors seem to agree. Point One Navigation, a startup that has developed precise location technology, has just raised $35 million in a Series C round led by Khosla Ventures. The company’s post-money valuation is now $230… Continue reading This Khosla-backed startup can track drones, trucks, and robotaxis, inch by inch
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Waymo enters 3 more cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans and Tampa
Waymo has three new cities in its sights as it continues to expand around the United States: Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa. The company said on Thursday that it will start manually driving its vehicles in those cities “in the coming days,” ahead of testing and validating its driverless tech, before eventually launching a commercial… Continue reading Waymo enters 3 more cities: Minneapolis, New Orleans and Tampa
Uber Eats will use Starship sidewalk robots to deliver food in the UK
Uber Eats is partnering with sidewalk delivery robot company Starship Technologies to deliver food in the U.K. starting later this year. The companies will start the service in the Leeds and Sheffield areas “from select merchants” in December and expand from there. Uber said the service will expand to “additional European markets in 2026” and… Continue reading Uber Eats will use Starship sidewalk robots to deliver food in the UK
Monarch Tractor preps for layoffs and warns employees it may ‘shut down’
Autonomous electric tractor startup Monarch Tractor warned staff Thursday it may need to lay off more than 100 employees, or possibly even ‘shut down,’ according to a company-wide memo obtained by TechCrunch. The memo comes after Monarch Tractor was already cutting some positions over the last few weeks at its California corporate facilities and remote… Continue reading Monarch Tractor preps for layoffs and warns employees it may ‘shut down’
Monarch Tractor sued over tractors that were ‘unable to operate autonomously’
Monarch Tractor has been accused of overpromising on the autonomous capabilities of its tractors, according to a new lawsuit. Burks Tractor, a dealership located in Idaho, has sued Monarch for breach of contract and allegedly violating its warranty because the California-based startup’s tractors were “unable to operate autonomously.” The dealership also says the 10 tractors… Continue reading Monarch Tractor sued over tractors that were ‘unable to operate autonomously’
Waymo removes safety drivers in Miami ahead of 2026 launch
Waymo is taking the safety operators out of its fleet of robotaxis in Miami starting today, ahead of a commercial launch in 2026, the latest in a long series of steps taken this year to expand its nationwide footprint. The company said in a blog post Tuesday it will start offering fully autonomous trips to… Continue reading Waymo removes safety drivers in Miami ahead of 2026 launch
Zoox to begin offering robotaxi rides to public in San Francisco
Zoox is starting to open its robotaxis to the public in San Francisco as the Amazon-owned company creeps toward a commercial service and direct competition with Waymo. Zoox robotaxis — custom-built vehicles that lack a steering wheel or pedals — have been rolling around San Francisco streets for nearly a year. But until now, only… Continue reading Zoox to begin offering robotaxi rides to public in San Francisco
Luminar is fighting with its biggest customer as bankruptcy threat looms
Swedish automaker Volvo has canceled a five-year-old contract with Luminar, the latest escalation in an increasingly ugly brawl between the lidar sensor company and its biggest customer. The fight is happening during an existential moment for Luminar. The company recently defaulted on several of its loans. While it’s working with those lenders on a resolution,… Continue reading Luminar is fighting with its biggest customer as bankruptcy threat looms
Beloved SF cat’s death fuels Waymo criticism
The death of a neighborhood bodega cat named Kit Kat has shaken San Francisco’s Mission District, according to The New York Times. After Kit Kat was run over by a Waymo robotaxi on the evening of October 27, locals created a shrine to memorialize him. The area has also been decorated with competing signs, some… Continue reading Beloved SF cat’s death fuels Waymo criticism
TechCrunch Mobility: The robotaxi expansion that really matters
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! It seems like a day doesn’t go by without Waymo making some kind of expansion announcement. Detroit, Las Vegas, Nashville, San… Continue reading TechCrunch Mobility: The robotaxi expansion that really matters