If you live in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, you could be one of the first consumers to ride in a self-driving car in the state of New York. That’s thanks to autonomous vehicle startup Optimus Ride, which today announced its plans to deploy self-driving vehicles to the 300-acre development in Brooklyn. The development houses 400… Continue reading Optimus Ride brings self-driving cars to private communities in NY and CA
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Cities are getting more serious about micromobility data
Gone are the days when cities and tech startups are constantly at odds with each other. Passport, a mobility management startup, has partnered with Charlotte, N.C., Detroit, Mich. and Omaha, Neb. to create a framework to apply parking principles, data analysis and more to the plethora of shared micromobility services. “For many cities, the only… Continue reading Cities are getting more serious about micromobility data
Ford-owned Spin will bring electric scooters to 100 new cities and college campuses this year
Spin, the electric scooter startup that Ford bought earlier this year for around $100 million, is gearing up to launch in 100 cities by the end of the year. This is thanks to a new partnership with Zagster, a dockless mobility startup that got its start with bike-share solutions for cities. “A solid operations infrastructure… Continue reading Ford-owned Spin will bring electric scooters to 100 new cities and college campuses this year
South Africa’s FlexClub raises $1.2M, partners with Uber Mexico
FlexClub, a South African startup that matches investors and drivers to cars for ride-hailing services, closed a $1.2 million seed round led by CRE Venture Capital. The company will use the financing to add team members and expand off the continent through a partnership with Uber Mexico. The move comes as Africa’s tech-transit space continues… Continue reading South Africa’s FlexClub raises $1.2M, partners with Uber Mexico
GM Cruise snags Dropbox HR head to hire at least 1,000 engineers by end of year
GM Cruise plans to hire hundreds of employees over the next nine months, doubling its engineering staff, TechCrunch has learned. It’s an aggressive move by the autonomous vehicle technology company to double its size as it pushes to deploy a robotaxi service by the end of the year. Arden Hoffman, who helped scale Dropbox, will… Continue reading GM Cruise snags Dropbox HR head to hire at least 1,000 engineers by end of year
Lyft sets $62-68 price range for its IPO to raise up to $2.1B, will trade as LYFT on Nasdaq
Ride-sharing startup Lyft, as expected, announced this morning that it is kicking off the roadshow for its IPO — setting the clock ticking for its IPO likely in the next two weeks. Around that, it also filled in some more details. The stock will trade as “LYFT” on Nasdaq, and the IPO range is currently set for… Continue reading Lyft sets $62-68 price range for its IPO to raise up to $2.1B, will trade as LYFT on Nasdaq
Tesla Model Y orders are now open
Customers can already place an order for the Tesla Model Y, a mid-sized crossover SUV that won’t go into production until 2020. Tesla requires a $2,500 deposit to complete the order for the all-electric vehicle, according to information posted on its website. A disclaimer on the order form states that “production is expected to begin… Continue reading Tesla Model Y orders are now open
Uber said to be raising $1B at a $10B valuation for its self-driving car unit
Uber is in negotiations with investors, including the SoftBank Vision Fund, to secure an investment as large as $1 billion for its autonomous vehicles unit. The deal would value the business at between $5 billion and $10 billion, according to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal. Uber declined to comment. The news comes… Continue reading Uber said to be raising $1B at a $10B valuation for its self-driving car unit
Ford is expanding its self-driving vehicle program to Austin
Ford is preparing to open an autonomous vehicle program in Austin as the automaker continues to ramp up testing ahead of launching a self-driving taxi and delivery service in 2021, according to sources familiar with the development. A new job listing for an autonomous vehicles “market specialist” based in Austin, validates the information. Austin is… Continue reading Ford is expanding its self-driving vehicle program to Austin
Acko, a digital insurance provider in India, raises another $65M at a $300M valuation
Acko — a startup out of India that has taken on the country’s antiquated insurance industry with a digital-first product for drivers and others in transportation-related scenarios (for example, cancelled ticket insurance) — has raised more funding as it passes 20 million customers on its books. The company has closed a Series C of $65 million… Continue reading Acko, a digital insurance provider in India, raises another $65M at a $300M valuation