Nearly a year ago, the spread of COVID-19 ended the daily commute for millions of Americans, an abrupt change that sent the ridesharing industry into a free fall. Hip, which connected commuters with third-party bus and shuttle operators via an app, was just one of the many mobility-as-a-service startups that watched its clientele and revenue… Continue reading Commuting platform startup Hip lands $12 million to help companies bring employees back to the office
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Metromile says a website bug let a hacker obtain driver license numbers
Car insurance startup Metromile said it has fixed a security flaw on its website that allowed a hacker to obtain driver license numbers. The San Francisco-based insurance startup disclosed the security breach in its latest 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Metromile said a bug in the quote form and application process… Continue reading Metromile says a website bug let a hacker obtain driver license numbers
Rocket startup Astra is going public vis SPAC
Rocket launch company Astra, which just reached space this past December with a test launch from Alaska, will be going public on the NASDAQ via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) called Holicity. The recent SPAC craze has already extended to the New Space sector, and Virgin Galactic was among the in… Continue reading Rocket startup Astra is going public vis SPAC
Data automotive startup Otonomo to go public via SPAC
Otonomo, the cloud-based software startup that help companies capture and monetize connected car data, is headed to the public market. The Israeli-based startup said Monday it has agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company Software Acquisition Group Inc. II with a valuation of $1.4 billion. Otonomo is joining a growing pool of automotive startups that… Continue reading Data automotive startup Otonomo to go public via SPAC
Ford vehicles will be powered by Google’s Android operating system
Millions of Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles will be powered by Android operating system beginning in 2023 as part of a six-year partnership announced Monday that will bring embedded Google apps and services to drivers. Ford and Google said as part of the partnership they will establish a new collaborative group called Team Upshift that will… Continue reading Ford vehicles will be powered by Google’s Android operating system
Ford bets on Google Cloud for its digital transformation
Google and Ford today announced a new partnership around bringing Android Automotive to Ford’s Ford and Lincoln-branded cars, starting in 2023. But at the same time, the two companies also announced that Ford has chosen Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider. “With Google Cloud, Ford will digitally transform from the front office to the… Continue reading Ford bets on Google Cloud for its digital transformation
Uber’s Autocab acquisition gets eyed by UK competition watchdog
Uber’s plan to acquire Autocab, a maker of SaaS for booking and dispatch software for the taxi and private hire vehicle industry which also operates a global trip marketplace for taxis and PHVs (iGo), is being looked at by the UK’s competition watchdog — which announced the launch of an inquiry today. The deadline for… Continue reading Uber’s Autocab acquisition gets eyed by UK competition watchdog
Elon Musk says Tesla Semi is ready for production, but limited by battery cell output
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the company’s 2020 Q4 earnings call that all engineering work is now complete on the Tesla Semi, the freight-hauling semi truck that the company is building with an all-electric powertrain. The company expects to begin deliveries of Tesla Semi this year, the company said in its Q4 earnings release,… Continue reading Elon Musk says Tesla Semi is ready for production, but limited by battery cell output
Tesla is willing to license Autopilot and has already had “preliminary discussions” about it with other automakers
Tesla is open to licensing its software, including its Autopilot highly-automated driving technology, and the neural network training it has built to improve its autonomous driving technology. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed those considerations on the company’s Q4 earnings call on Wednesday, adding that the company has in fact already “had some preliminary discussions about… Continue reading Tesla is willing to license Autopilot and has already had “preliminary discussions” about it with other automakers
Starship Technologies raises $17M to roll out more delivery bots
A year ago, Starship Technologies had a couple hundred autonomous bots delivering burritos and pizzas to students on college campuses and residents in a few neighborhoods. The company — with $17 million of new capital in its coffers — has expanded its fleet five-fold since COVID-19 swept through the European and North American markets that… Continue reading Starship Technologies raises $17M to roll out more delivery bots