Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle subsidiary Waymo may raise outside capital for the first time at a valuation “at least several times” that of Cruise, the General Motors-owned autonomous vehicle business worth nearly $15 billion, according to a report published by The Information on Monday. We’ve reached out to our sources to confirm. Waymo didn’t immediately respond… Continue reading Report: Google’s Waymo seeks outside investment and a sky-high valuation
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Tesla issues $13.8M in stock to buy trailers in bid to improve electric vehicle deliveries
Tesla is using more than $13 million worth of stock to buy trucks and trailers that will transport its electric vehicles to customers, the latest effort by the automaker to improve its logistics and delivery services. Instead of using cash, Tesla issued $13.8 million in stock, a new securities filing posted Monday shows. Tesla used… Continue reading Tesla issues $13.8M in stock to buy trailers in bid to improve electric vehicle deliveries
Lyft lays off up to 50 in bikes and scooters as it gears up for another wave of launches
As Lyft continues to prepare for its IPO, the on-demand transportation startup is trimming staff to cut costs ahead of another wave of expansion. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Lyft has laid off around 50 staff in its bike and scooter division, mainly people who had joined the company when it acquired the electric… Continue reading Lyft lays off up to 50 in bikes and scooters as it gears up for another wave of launches
Uber pays $2.6M to settle historical charges it violated Dutch taxi laws
Another fine for Uber’s historical playbook: The ride-hailing giant has agreed to pay around $2.6 million (€2.3M) to settle charges in the Netherlands related to violations of local taxi law, dating back to when it was operating a peer-to-peer ride-hailing service in contravention of local transport laws. Uber offered its UberPop service in the Netherlands… Continue reading Uber pays $2.6M to settle historical charges it violated Dutch taxi laws
Hammerhead raises $4.2M to build a smarter operating system for bikes
Hammerhead founder and CEO Piet Morgan is a bicyclist, and he started the company because he wanted a better navigation system. So Hammerhead crowdfunded its first product, the H1, and subsequently built Karoo, a “cycling computer” that supports navigation and training. But Morgan told me his ambitions are bigger than that. After all, he sees… Continue reading Hammerhead raises $4.2M to build a smarter operating system for bikes
Airbnb agrees to acquire last-minute hotel-booking app HotelTonight
As Airbnb gears up for its big leap into the public markets, it’s expanding its accommodations platform to include more than just treehouses and quirky homes. Today, the company has confirmed its intent to acquire HotelTonight, the developer of a hotel-booking application that lets travelers arrange last-minute accommodations. The deal was previously reported by The… Continue reading Airbnb agrees to acquire last-minute hotel-booking app HotelTonight
Taxify rebrands as Bolt to expand its transport options beyond private cars
Taxify, the ride-hailing company from Estonia backed by Didi and Daimler and now active in 30 countries, is making a key shift in its business today as it gears up for its next stage of growth. The company is removing “taxi” from its name and rebranding as Bolt, the same name that it has been… Continue reading Taxify rebrands as Bolt to expand its transport options beyond private cars
Brodmann17 nabs $11M for its automotive computer vision tech that runs on any CPU
Efficient computer vision systems are a critical component of autonomous and assisted driving vehicles, and now a startup that has developed a way to deliver computer vision technology without relying on costly and bulky hardware — by building deep learning software that can run even on low-end processors — has secured a round of funding… Continue reading Brodmann17 nabs $11M for its automotive computer vision tech that runs on any CPU
Waymo to start selling standalone LiDAR sensors
Waymo, the Google self-driving project that spun out to become a business under Alphabet, will start selling its custom LiDAR sensors — the technology that was at the heart of a trade secrets lawsuit last year against Uber. The company announced Wednesday in a blog post that it will sell is light detection and ranging… Continue reading Waymo to start selling standalone LiDAR sensors
Prosecutors find Uber not criminally liable in 2018 Arizona self-driving crash that killed a pedestrian
Yavapai County prosecutors said today that Uber is not criminally liable in a crash last year when one of its self-driving cars fatally struck a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. The autonomous SUV, which had a backup driver behind the wheel, collided with Elaine Herzberg while she was walking across the street. She later died as… Continue reading Prosecutors find Uber not criminally liable in 2018 Arizona self-driving crash that killed a pedestrian