Category: News Site

UPDATE 1-As Google races ahead, German carmakers look to go faster on autonomous driving

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s top carmakers including BMW and Volkswagen are looking at ways to speed up development of the next generation of self-driving cars, possibly by even working together, as tech giant Google forges ahead with plans to mass produce such vehicles. FILE PHOTO: Three of the fleet of 600 Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid… Continue reading UPDATE 1-As Google races ahead, German carmakers look to go faster on autonomous driving

Wag founders ditch dogs for bikes with $37 million in funding

Wag founders Jonathan and Joshua Viner are leaving dogs behind for bikes. Wheels, the Viner brothers’ new electric bike-share startup, is announcing $37 million in funding from Tenaya Capital, Bullpen Capital, Naval Ravikant and others. The Viner brothers departed dog-walking startup Wag last year to start a fund focused on consumer startups. The departures came… Continue reading Wag founders ditch dogs for bikes with $37 million in funding

DoorDash poaches Uber Eats engineering boss

One way to gain ground on a competitor is to poach their best executives. We’ve seen it time and time again, from high-level Tesla employees fleeing for Lyft or Apple stealing Google’s AI talent. DoorDash, a well-funded food delivery unicorn, is familiar with this method of staffing. The company announced this morning that it has poached… Continue reading DoorDash poaches Uber Eats engineering boss

Waymo is opening a $13.6 million self-driving car facility in the Detroit area

Michigan boasts more connected and automated vehicle projects than any other state, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. And, as announced Tuesday, the Midwestern state will employ up to 400 more folks in self-driving cars in the coming years. Waymo said it will build its self-driving vehicles at a Metro Detroit facility. It will… Continue reading Waymo is opening a $13.6 million self-driving car facility in the Detroit area

Urgent.ly Raises $21M in Series B Funding

Urgent.ly, a Vienna, VA- and San Diego, CA-based connected roadside assistance service supported by a technology platform, raised $21m in Series B funding. Backers included InMotion Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital fund, BMW i Ventures and Porsche Ventures. The company, which had already announced the raise of $10m in Series B in Oct. 2017,… Continue reading Urgent.ly Raises $21M in Series B Funding

Desktop Metal Closes $160M Series E Funding Round

Desktop Metal, a Burlington, MA-based metal 3D printing technology company, closed a $160m Series E funding round. The round was led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), with participation from GV (formerly Google Ventures), Panasonic, and Techtronic Industries, as well as previous venture capital investors Lux Capital, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Kleiner Perkins. The company,… Continue reading Desktop Metal Closes $160M Series E Funding Round

Could Tesla profitability benefit from a franchised dealer network?

Tesla’s determination to dispense with a franchised car dealer network could be partly to blame for the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer’s 2019 cost-cutting drive, it has been claimed. California’s pioneering EV producer announced earlier this month that it would be implementing a 7% reduction in hourly and salaried staff while eliminating its sales referral program… Continue reading Could Tesla profitability benefit from a franchised dealer network?

Mobike to rebrand as Meituan Bike, fully integrate into Meituan’s app

Jan 23, 2019 1 min read Chinese bike-rental company Mobike will rebrand as Meituan Bike as it abandons its standalone app to be included in internet giant Meituan’s platform as an in-app feature. The Chinese bike-rental firm will also become a distinct business group within the lifestyle services company. Wang Huiwen, Meituan’s senior vice president and co-founder,… Continue reading Mobike to rebrand as Meituan Bike, fully integrate into Meituan’s app