Description:
Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup Gatik came out of stealth mode in July 2019 to address the pain point of middle-mile logistics for businesses. Middle-mile delivery is the most expensive part of the whole supply chain for businesses. With the rise of e-commerce and a short supply of drivers, businesses are struggling to meet the consumer expectations of an increasingly on-demand economy.

Gatik’s Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which include light trucks and vans, operate on fixed, repeatable routes about 15 times per day. The autonomous vehicles are restricted to the right-most lane as often as possible to eliminate technical challenges such as unprotected left turns. However, if needed, its vehicles will operate in left lanes and are capable of making lane changes and unprotected left turns. The vehicles also avoid routes with fire stations, hospitals, and schools to avoid unpredictability.