Avride said it has tested its autonomous vehicles in various countries through rain, snow, side streets, metropolitan areas, and more. | Source: Avride
Autonomous systems are getting more fuel for the road. Avride Inc., a startup developing self-driving technology for passenger vehicles and sidewalk robots, yesterday announced that it has secured strategic investments and other commitments of up to $375 million.
“At Avride, we have a clear vision and a strong plan to make autonomous transportation an integral part of everyday life,” stated Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO of Avride.
Founded in 2017, Avride said its autonomous vehicles (AVs) and delivery robots share technologies and benefit from each other’s advancements. The Austin-based company said its robots have already delivered hundreds of thousands of orders in the U.S. and overseas, proving the scalability and reliability of its technology.
Avride expands Uber collaboration
Uber Technologies Inc. and AI infrastructure provider Nebius Group backed Avride. This is an expansion of a multi-year strategic agreement between Uber and Avride. Delivery robots are already fulfilling orders through the Uber Eats platform for hundreds of restaurants in Austin and Dallas, plus Jersey City, N.J.
“We are thrilled to have world-class partners like Uber who share this vision and continue to support us,” Polishchuk added.
By the end of 2025, Avride plans to launch its first robotaxi service on the Uber ride-hailing platform in Dallas — bringing its autonomous technology from sidewalks to streets. The company said the funding will enable it to scale faster, strengthen its AI-driven product development, and expand into new markets.
“We’re excited to continue deepening our partnership with Avride and look forward to introducing their impressive autonomous driving technologies to more people in more places,” said Sarfraz Maredia, global head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber.
Avride today also said it is expanding its partnership with Grubhub unit Wonder to launch an autonomous delivery pilot in Jersey City, N.J.
Avride said its delivery robot is equipped with lidar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors for safe autonomous operations in any condition. | Source: Avride
Company looks to conquer both sidewalks and roads
When it comes to AVs, Waymo is a clear leader in the space. In the U.S., the Waymo Driver has already driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles on public roads and provided more than 10 million paid rides. It also recently partnered with DoorDash to make deliveries in the Metro Phoenix area.
Avride separates itself from other AV developers, like Waymo, with its sidewalk and road approach. However, it isn’t the only company taking multiple routes to autonomy. Earlier this year, DoorDash unveiled Dot, its first autonomous delivery robot.
While Dot isn’t an AV, at one-tenth the size of a car, it is equipped to handle roads for short distances. The robot can travel up to 20 mph (32.1 kph), making it suitable for neighborhood trips to help local businesses meet growing consumer demand. It can travel on bike lanes, roads, sidewalks, and driveways.
Nuro is another company taking a unique approach to getting its technology on the road. It licenses its autonomous driving system to automotive manufacturers and mobility providers, plans to deploy a robotaxi service with Lucid and Uber, and also deploys its driver on smaller and passengerless delivery vehicles.
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