WABI participates in the self -driving company with independent Volvo solutions to develop and publish independent trucks, a milestone with an approach to commercial launch.
The tie also represents the Volvo second partnership to participate in developing large self -driving platforms with a startup partner. In May 2024, Volvo cooperated with Aurora Innovation to detect an independent Volvo VnL truck.
Waabi will use the same truck, but it will get WABI technology on it, including Sensor Suite, Compute and Waabi Driver.
“We now have everything we need to expand our products,” said Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi, told Techcrunch. “We have the next generation AV 2.0 technology, we have a more efficient capital approach, and a much faster path to the market.”
WABI plans to launch two commercial pilots with Volvo trucks in Texas during the next two months, with a ready demonstration for products on public roads planned at the end of 2025.
A driver’s commercial launch – directly between customer warehouses from the first day, will not be followed by stations – shortly after that, according to Ortason.
Ortacon, who previously held the position of chief scientist at Uber ATG before launching Waabi in 2021, claims that he built Amnesty International models that could cause human will, which in turn increases commercial publishing and makes a generally more efficient system. I have made it clear that artificial intelligence is better quality will require much lower data and calculates the understanding of the world around it and responding to it.
WABI relied on its simulation technology not only the test and training of self -driving technology, but also to help design trucks for OEM integration. The emerging company revealed the first truck designed for this purpose-with sensors, calculations and programs integrated into the assembly line-in 2022.
In contrast, the Kodiak Robotics competitor has developed a system for itself that includes all the devices and programs that are excessive of need, but it is not related to one factory. URTASUN is interested in integrating the Waabi driver into independent trucks at the factory level without interruption to the OEM assembly line.
Ortason believes this is the best way to build a safe and reliable product.
The Waabi partnership with Volvo depends on the strategic automotive investment at the start of operation two years ago via ARM Venture Arm, Volvo Group Venture Capital. Volvo later participated in the $ 200 million Waabi series B.
Volvo will build a war truck in a ready -made production facility in Virginia. Ortason said that the first “handicraft” will come out of the assembly line in 2025, and that it expects that the schedule line will reach for about two to three years to the size of the size.
During that time, Ortason also indicated that capital efficiency will be “absolute” to be successful in this industry. “AI-FIRST ADPTIVE” says to Waabi means that the startup capital needs access to a driver without a driver that will be “a small part of what you see in the industry today.”
To date, Waabi has raised $ 282 million, for all Pitchbook data, and Urtasun says that young adults have enough to launch a driver without a driver on public roads and beyond. Its major competitors, Ura and Codiak, raised $ 3.46 billion and 243 million dollars, respectively.
Aurora plans to launch a driver’s commercial transport by April, and last month Kodiak delivered her first independent trucks to a commercial partner who will use it in off -road operations.
“2025 is the year of truck transport. Ortason said:” It is his status or breaking it. “I think there will be more monotheism.”
Many players have not remained in the game since Curspark and Tusimple closed and Waymo stopped independent truck aspirations.
When asked if waabi was thinking about the merger or acquisition, Ortacon replied: “Certainly no. Truck transport is only the beginning. We will do much more than that of truck -truck transport – robotics, warehouse robots. I have very big plans for the company, and we will remain a completely independent company. .
