According to VentureBeat:
Autonomous logistics startup Outrider today closed a $65 million funding round led by Koch Disruptive Technologies. Outrider says the funds will be used to accelerate go-to-market efforts as it expands its workforce to over 110 employees and grows its customer base of Fortune 500 companies.
Driverless vehicle technology has already begun to transform industries. TuSimple, Einride, and others have raised tens of millions for freight systems that transport logs, shipping containers, and other cargo autonomously. Some experts predict the coronavirus outbreak will hasten adoption of autonomous delivery solutions. Despite the public’s misgivings about self-driving cars and their need for regular disinfection, the vehicles promise to minimize the spread of disease by limiting driver-rider contact.
Outrider, which is headquartered in Golden, Colorado, was founded in 2017 with the goal of automating vehicle movement in freight hubs to reduce costs while improving safety. The company doesn’t own or operate any vehicles itself. Instead, it provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for customer-owned fully and semi-autonomous freight and transportation fleets, as well as a team of technicians to monitor those fleets’ progress remotely.