{"id":692495,"date":"2025-09-28T19:55:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T16:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/"},"modified":"2025-09-28T19:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T16:55:10","slug":"techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/","title":{"rendered":"TechCrunch Mobility: Self-driving trucks startup Kodiak goes public and a shake-up at Hyundai\u2019s Supernal"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214afb7d9fb\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a214afb7d9fb\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/#A_little_bird\" >A little bird<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/#Deals\" >Deals!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/#Notable_reads_and_other_tidbits\" >Notable reads and other tidbits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/#One_more_thing\" >One more thing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Welcome back to <strong>TechCrunch Mobility<\/strong> \u2014 your central hub for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free \u2014 just click TechCrunch Mobility!<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The autonomous vehicle industry is years \u2014 maybe decades \u2014 from maturing. And so there\u2019s still a Wild West quality to the sector, in spite of the steady stream of announcements that do show marked progress. Two such news items from this week illustrate my point of progress, possibility, and even a bit of peril (at least to the ups and downs a public market can provide).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First up is <strong>Gatik<\/strong>, an AV and logistics startup that is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lying its tech to middle-mile trucks. The startup, which I first wrote about in 2019, announced a multi-year and expanded commercial partnership with Canada\u2019s largest retailer, Loblaw. Under the deal, Gatik will deploy 20 autonomous trucks by the end of 2025 to provide driverless delivery to Loblaw\u2019s network of stores in the greater Toronto area. Co-founder and CEO <strong>Gautam Narang<\/strong> told me the company will add another 30 autonomous trucks to the fleet by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The deal is notable, and not just because of the fleet size. As Narang explained to me, the trucks will be handling the full regional network for Loblaw. This means these third-generation AV trucks will operate autonomously to pick up products from two distribution centers and make deliveries to over 300 retail stores. \u201cThese are multiple brands within the Loblaw umbrella,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, this is not some fixed-route pilot program. It\u2019s commercial, and it\u2019s complex.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next up is <strong>Kodiak Robotics<\/strong>, another startup I have reported on since its founding. The company, which is developing self-driving trucks for highway, industrial, and defense uses, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/investors.kodiak.ai\/news-releases\/news-release-details\/kodiak-completes-business-combination-ares-acquisition\">began trading on Nasdaq<\/a> this week under the tickers KDK and KDKRW.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company, which is now called Kodiak AI, went public via a merger with special-purpose acquisition company Ares Acquisition Corporation II, an affiliate of Ares Management. The deal valued the startup at about $2.5 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-techcrunch-inline-cta\">\n<div class=\"inline-cta__wrapper\">\n<p>Techcrunch event<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-cta__content\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__location\">San Francisco<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__separator\">|<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"inline-cta__date\">October 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kodiak raised <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20250923831169\/en\/Kodiak-and-Ares-Acquisition-Corporation-II-Have-Raised-Over-%24275-Million-to-Support-Proposed-Business-Combination-Following-Redemptions\">$275 million<\/a> in financing. More than $212.5 million came from certain institutional investors, including $145 million in PIPE funding and about $62.9 million in trust cash from Ares. It should be noted that the trust cash is smaller (it was $562 million), as some SPAC investors redeemed their shares.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I spoke to founder and CEO <strong>Don Burnette<\/strong> the day before Kodiak\u2019s big debut about why he took the company public \u2014 let alone via a SPAC. It was a big moment for Burnette, whose family was on hand to watch him ring the bell and mark the milestone.\u00a0The stock was trading at about $7.70 Friday, down about 10% from its market open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs you can imagine, building and scaling a transformative autonomous driving company is very capital intensive, and we were looking to access the public markets as a path forward for the company. And when choosing between, you know, traditional IPO or a SPAC, we considered all the options,\u201d he said. \u201cWe felt like, from a timing perspective, it was the right decision for the company (to take the SPAC route).\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should be noted that Burnette is also quite bullish on defense. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think autonomy is the future of ground transportation broadly,\u201d he said, before noting the benefits within defense for logistics and reconnaissance operations for ground vehicles. \u201cOne of the key things is defense requires unstructured autonomy, and this is one of the areas where we become specialists.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-little-bird\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_little_bird\"><\/span>A little bird<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"170\" width=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/blinky-cat-bird-green.gif?w=680\" alt=\"blinky cat bird green\" class=\"wp-image-1896211\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few weeks ago, we wrote about some trouble at <strong>Hyundai<\/strong>\u2018s electric air taxi startup <strong>Supernal<\/strong>, including that the company had stopped work on its air taxi program and that its CEO and CTO were out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, a little bird told us that a wider reorg of Supernal\u2019s C-suite was afoot \u2014 something Hyundai Motor Group has now confirmed to us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chief strategy officer Jaeyong Song and chief safety officer Tracy Lamb are part of a \u201ctransition to new leadership,\u201d according to the Korean conglomerate. Song\u2019s departure is particularly notable, as he was once the VP of Hyundai\u2019s Advanced Air Mobility division, which Supernal was spun out of in 2021. Also gone is Lina Yang, who most recently served as chief of staff to the startup\u2019s now-former CEO, but who also served as Supernal\u2019s \u201cHead of Intelligent Systems\u201d before that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at\u00a0<\/em><em>kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com<\/em><em>\u00a0or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O\u2019Kane at\u00a0<\/em><em>sean.okane@techcrunch.com<\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-deals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deals\"><\/span>Deals!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"170\" width=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?w=680\" alt=\"money the station\" class=\"wp-image-1896226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png 1024w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=150,38 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=300,75 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=768,192 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=680,170 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=430,108 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=720,180 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=900,225 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=800,200 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=668,167 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=708,177 708w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=50,13 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember<strong> <\/strong><strong>Moxion Powe<\/strong><strong>r<\/strong>, the portable battery startup that raised $110 million before going bankrupt? The founders are back with a new startup called <strong>Anode <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a> Company<\/strong>, which has designed a mobile battery and inverter that can be used for EV charging and supplying remote power to construction sites and live events. The startup just raised $9 million in seed funding in a round led by Eclipse Ventures; its partner, <strong>Jiten Behl<\/strong>, who spearheaded the deal, was previously Rivian\u2019s chief growth officer. Apparently, Behl\u2019s interest was sparked by his experience at Rivian.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Side note: Palo Alto-based venture capital firm Eclipse sure has been busy this year. The VC firm led the $105 million round of Also, the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian, and recently hired longtime T. Rowe Price Group investor <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-08-05\/vc-eclipse-hires-t-rowe-veteran-fath-after-tesla-rivian-bets?embedded-checkout=true\">Joe Fath<\/a> as partner and head of growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The firm doesn\u2019t explicitly focus on transportation, but some of its portfolio companies in this sector include <strong>Arc<\/strong>, <strong>Bedrock Robotics<\/strong>,<strong> <\/strong><strong>Reliable Robotics<\/strong>, <strong>Skyryse<\/strong>,<strong> <\/strong>and <strong>Wayve<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Other deals that got my attention \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rapido<\/strong>, a popular ride-hailing platform in India that competes with Uber, doubled its valuation to $2.3 billion following a secondary share sale by food delivery giant Swiggy. The share sale comes just weeks after Rapido began piloting food deliveries, edging into Swiggy\u2019s core territory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Telo<\/strong>, the tiny electric truck developer, raised $20 million in a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a> A funding round co-led by designer and Telo co-founder Yves B\u00e9har and Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpenning, who is on Telo\u2019s board. Additional investment came from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and early-stage funds like TO VC, E12 Ventures, and Neo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TheTrump administration is seeking up to a 10% stake in <strong>Lithium Americas<\/strong> in exchange for renegotiating the repayment period of a $2.26 billion Department of Energy loan. GM is a major investor in the Canadian company, which is developing a lithium mine in Nevada that is expected to be the largest in the Western Hemisphere.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-notable-reads-and-other-tidbits\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Notable_reads_and_other_tidbits\"><\/span>Notable reads and other tidbits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"171\" width=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?w=680\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1926823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png 1024w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=150,38 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=300,75 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=768,193 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=680,171 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=430,108 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=720,181 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=900,226 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=800,201 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=668,168 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=708,178 708w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=50,13 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hackers have had quite an active week in the transportation sector. <strong>Stellantis<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>confirmed a data breach involving customers\u2019 personal information. The breach is linked to a hack of its Salesforce database. Meanwhile, a hack that began last Friday and targeted check-in systems provided by <strong>Collins Aerospace<\/strong> caused delays at Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin airports, as well as London\u2019s Heathrow. The U.K.\u2019s National Crime Agency has arrested a man in connection to the ransomware attack. And finally, <strong>Jaguar Land Rover<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>said it will not resume production at its factories for yet another week as it continues to grapple with fallout from a cyberattack.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Battery materials startup <strong>Sila<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>started operations at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington, a milestone that could pave the way for longer-range, faster-charging EVs. The factory is the first large-scale silicon anode factory in the West and will initially be capable of making enough battery materials for 20,000 to 50,000 EVs. Future expansion could fulfill demand for as many as 2.5 million vehicles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Automakers continue to pull back on EVs and electrified vehicles. <strong>Honda<\/strong> is ending U.S. production of its <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/09\/24\/honda-acura-ev-gm.html\">Acura ZDX electric vehicle<\/a> that was being built by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Motors<\/strong> in Tennessee, CNBC reported. And <strong>Stellantis<\/strong> has canceled plans to produce a 4xe plug-in hybrid Jeep Gladiator in North America by the end of 2025. Which EV is next on the chopping block?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>National Highway Traffic Safety Administratio<\/strong><strong>n<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-09-24\/rivian-faces-us-auto-safety-probe-over-electric-delivery-vans?taid=68d3eaa07de7d80001c65532&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;embedded-checkout=true\">opened an investigation<\/a> into Rivian over issues with the seat belts in its electric delivery vans that could introduce additional risk in the event of a crash, Bloomberg reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tesla<\/strong> asked the Environmental Protection Agency not to roll back current vehicle emissions standards, breaking from other major automakers that want to see the rules eased.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>TuneIn<\/strong>, an audio streaming service, is collaborating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deliver emergency alerts directly to drivers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Volvo Cars<\/strong> is pledging a commitment to U.S. production. The company said it will continue to invest in its U.S. car plant near Charleston, South Carolina, and announced plans to expand the factory to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.media.volvocars.com\/global\/en-gb\/media\/pressreleases\/353204\/volvo-cars-continues-to-invest-in-south-carolina-plant?utm_campaign=Syndicated_353204&amp;utm_medium=RSS_All%20Press%20Releases&amp;utm_source=media.volvocars.com\">produce a hybrid vehicle<\/a> by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Waymo<\/strong> launched \u201cWaymo for Business,\u201d a new service designed for companies to set up accounts so their employees can access robotaxis in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Zoox<\/strong> has asked federal regulators for an exemption that would allow the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls like pedals and a steering wheel.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one-more-thing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_more_thing\"><\/span>One more thing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, proof of life from <strong>Luminar<\/strong> founder <strong>Austin Russell<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may remember that Russell was mysteriously and suddenly replaced in May as CEO of the lidar company he created. The company has never truly explained his departure, only that it was the result of a \u201ccode of business conduct and ethics inquiry\u201d initiated by the board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell has been silent; while he remains on Luminar\u2019s board, he hasn\u2019t signed any of the filings the company has submitted with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission since he was replaced. This week, he reappeared as the co-founder of a new company called <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20250923860773\/en\/Russell-AI-Labs-Launches-to-Build-and-Back-Next-Generation-Intelligent-Technologies\">Russell AI Labs<\/a>. It\u2019s billed as a \u201cplatform that backs and builds transformative AI and frontier technology companies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It doesn\u2019t seem like his troubles at Luminar have affected his ability to attract high-profile support or make eyebrow-raising deals. Russell\u2019s co-founders are Markus Sch\u00e4fer, CTO and board member at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, and Murtaza Ahmed, who served as a managing director at Goldman Sachs before joining SoftBank and was a partner in the $100 billion Vision Fund and managing partner of its $5 billion Latin America Fund.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of Russell AI Lab\u2019s debut, the startup announced it has taken a $300 million stake in agentic AI company Emergence AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/09\/28\/techcrunch-mobility-self-driving-trucks-startup-kodiak-goes-public-and-a-shake-up-at-hyundais-supernal\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility \u2014 your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free \u2014 just click TechCrunch Mobility! The autonomous vehicle industry is years \u2014 maybe decades \u2014 from maturing. And so there\u2019s still a Wild West quality to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":692496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2236951794.jpg?resize=1200,801","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[73548,158892,158498,158170,158882,152623,36402,73295,152624,152520],"class_list":["post-692495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-hyundai","tag-kodiak","tag-kodiak-robotics","tag-rapido","tag-supernal","tag-techcrunch-mobility","tag-tesla","tag-transportation","tag-waymo","tag-zoox"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}