aurora Aurora Acquires Uber's Self-Driving Unit in $10 Billion Landmark Deal Autonomous vehicle startup Aurora takes over Uber ATG in an all-stock transaction that values the combined company at $10 billion. Uber invests $400 million to secure a 26% stake and a board seat in the newly expanded company.
amazon Amazon-Owned Zoox Unveils Purpose-Built Robotaxi for Passenger Ride-Hailing Zoox officially reveals its long-awaited autonomous vehicle, proving the robotaxi is real hardware rather than vaporware. The Amazon-owned company focuses entirely on passenger transportation with a new bidirectional car featuring advanced safety systems.
hyundai Hyundai Grabs Controlling Stake in Boston Dynamics for $1.1 Billion Hyundai Motor Group acquires an 80% stake in Boston Dynamics, valuing the robot maker at $1.1 billion as the automaker pivots toward smart mobility solutions.
aeva Lidar Startup Aeva Joins SPAC Trend With $2.1 Billion Deal Aeva, a lidar startup founded by former Apple engineers, goes public via a $2.1 billion SPAC merger. The company distinguishes itself with unique 4D lidar technology that measures both distance and instant velocity.
motional Motional and Via Partner to Launch Paid Shared Robotaxi Service in 2021 A new joint effort between Motional and Via brings a fee-based, shared robotaxi service to a U.S. city next year. The partnership aims to create a scalable blueprint for integrating autonomous vehicles into existing public transit networks.
waymo Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Ride-Hailing Service to Phoenix Public Waymo opens its fully driverless vehicles to all Waymo One riders in the Phoenix metro area, marking a major milestone for autonomous transportation.
waymo Waymo Launches Fully Driverless Ride-Hailing for Public in Phoenix Waymo opens its fully driverless ride-hailing service to the public in a 50-square-mile area of Phoenix. Existing members gain first access, with broader app availability planned for the coming weeks.
yandex Yandex Takes 73% Stake in Spun-Off Self-Driving Division Yandex and Uber agree to spin off their self-driving vehicles business into a new entity called Yandex SDG. Yandex increases its ownership to 73% and invests an additional $150 million into the autonomous driving technology.
yandex Yandex Takes Majority Control of Self-Driving Spinoff in $150 Million Deal Yandex and Uber spin off their joint self-driving vehicle business into a new entity called Yandex SDG. Yandex invests $150 million to secure a 73% stake in the newly independent autonomous driving company.
robotics investments Robotics Sector Secures $1.9 Billion in Funding During July 2020 Robotics companies attract over $1.9 billion across 47 transactions in July 2020, showing steady investor interest despite the global pandemic. Autonomous vehicles lead the funding rounds, followed by drones and healthcare robots.
robotics Robotics Investments Reach $2.3 Billion in August 2020 Robotics funding defies the global economic downturn as 50 transactions total $2.3 billion in August 2020. Autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and healthcare systems lead the way for eager investors.
robotics Robotics Industry Navigates Pandemic Challenges to Achieve Record Growth The robotics industry experiences significant growth in 2020 despite global disruptions, with service robots surging 32% and industrial robots reaching 2.7 million units worldwide.
boston dynamics Hyundai Acquisition and Robotaxi Breakthroughs Highlight December's Top Robotics News December 2020 sees major industry shifts, including Hyundai's nearly $1 billion purchase of Boston Dynamics and significant strides in autonomous vehicle deployments. The month also brings important discussions on AI bias and leadership changes at Universal Robots.
toyota Toyota Unveils Woven City Prototype to Reshape Future Urban Living Toyota reveals plans for Woven City, a fully sustainable prototype city at the base of Mt. Fuji designed to test automated and connected technologies. The company also introduces a new patent licensing program and a funding call for startups at CES 2020.
waymo Waymo Secures $2.25 Billion to Expand Global Autonomous Fleet Alphabet's self-driving division raises a massive $2.25 billion in its first funding round, drawing investment from major financial and strategic partners. The capital aims to scale the Waymo Driver globally despite the company currently burning through roughly $1 billion annually.