‘We are still profitable. Quarter after quarter.’ Rebecca Bellan 10 hours Startups are the embodiment of frenetic action. The rush to grow, outrun, and disrupt runs in the lifeblood of today’s entrepreneurs, driving their fervor and enabling them to capture markets from giants of industries too big to maneuver in a quickly changing landscape. That… Continue reading Veo CEO Candice Xie has a plan for building a sustainable scooter company, and it’s working
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Autonomous trucking startup Embark to go public in $5.2B SPAC deal
Five-year old self-driving truck startup Embark Trucks Inc. said Wednesday it would merge with special purpose acquisition company Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. II in a deal valued at $5.2 billion. Embark takes a different approach to autonomous trucking: As opposed to manufacturing and operating a fleet of trucks themselves, which is the route rival TuSimple… Continue reading Autonomous trucking startup Embark to go public in $5.2B SPAC deal
Ford micromobility subsidiary Spin launches first in-house built e-scooter
Spin, Ford’s micromobility subsidiary, has launched its first custom designed and built electric scooter. The company says the S-100T scooters are its safest and longest lasting, two qualities that it hopes will attract the attention of cities as it aims its strategy at exclusive partnerships. When the company launches its service in Sacramento in July,… Continue reading Ford micromobility subsidiary Spin launches first in-house built e-scooter
Chinese robotaxi unicorn WeRide bags over $600M in 5 months
It’s hard to keep up with the fundraising spree in China’s autonomous driving industry these days. Guangzhou- and California-based robotaxi company WeRide, which counts Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance as one of its strategic investors, has raised over $600 million in just under five months from its Series B and C financing rounds. The four-year-old upstart said in… Continue reading Chinese robotaxi unicorn WeRide bags over $600M in 5 months
Micromobility software provider Joyride raises $3.7 million seed round
Joyride, a Toronto-based company that provides white label apps, back-end analytics and multi-modal fleet management for shared micromobility startups, has raised $3.7 million — seed money that it says will help it reach a greater number of small, local operators. The company, which operates in more than 160 markets in every continent besides Antarctica, has… Continue reading Micromobility software provider Joyride raises $3.7 million seed round
Lidar company Quanergy to go public via $1.4B SPAC deal
Quanergy Systems, the Sunnyvale, California-based lidar company, said Tuesday it has agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition fund CITIC Capital Acquisition Corp., a Chinese blank-check firm affiliated with the country’s largest state-owned investment conglomerate. The deal, which puts an implied valuation on Quanergy at $1.4 billion, is expected to close in the second half… Continue reading Lidar company Quanergy to go public via $1.4B SPAC deal
Inside GM’s startup incubator strategy
GM has launched a series of new subsidiaries in the past year tackling electrification, connectivity and even insurance — all part of the automaker’s aim to find value (and profits) beyond its traditional business of making, selling and financing vehicles. These startups, including numerous ones that will never make the cut, get their start under… Continue reading Inside GM’s startup incubator strategy
How Amazon-owned Zoox designed its self-driving vehicles to prevent crashes
The hubbub surrounding the autonomous vehicle industry often focuses on venture capital rounds, speculation about IPOs and acquisitions. But the industry’s future also hinges on the high-stakes task of proving the technology can operate safer than human drivers do today and gaining the public’s trust. In short: safety matters. Zoox issued a safety report Tuesday… Continue reading How Amazon-owned Zoox designed its self-driving vehicles to prevent crashes
GM increases EV and AV investments to $35B through 2025
General Motors Co. has yet again upped the amount it says it will spend on electric and autonomous vehicle investments, saying Wednesday that it would spend $35 billion through 2025 — an $8 billion increase from its previous plan announced in November 2020. The company has set a target to bring 30 new EVs to… Continue reading GM increases EV and AV investments to $35B through 2025
Tesla backs vision-only approach to autonomy using powerful supercomputer
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing a neural network training computer called ‘Dojo’ since at least 2019. Musk says Dojo will be able to process vast amounts of video data to achieve vision-only autonomous driving. While Dojo itself is still in development, Tesla today revealed a new supercomputer that will serve as a development… Continue reading Tesla backs vision-only approach to autonomy using powerful supercomputer