Robotic Research Announces $228 Million Series A Funding Round to Scale Autonomous Technology Commercially
Robotic Research, a global leader in autonomous mobility and robotics solutions, today announced a $228 million funding round—the first outside capital the company has raised. This funding will drive further innovation and expansion of Robotic Research’s commercial division, RR.AI, which is focused on delivering comprehensive autonomous driving solutions for commercial truck, bus, drayage and logistics vehicles. Investors in the Series A round include SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Enlightenment Capital, Crescent Cove Advisors, Henry Crown and Company, and Luminar Technologies, Inc.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211208006171/en/
The company's vehicle-agnostic autonomy kit, AutoDrive®, has already been integrated in a variety of vehicles including North America’s first autonomous heavy-duty transit bus, Class 8 trucks, and yard trucks. (Photo: Business Wire)
“This investment reflects our success in developing autonomous solutions for our U.S. government customers, and will provide the resources needed to meet our growing commercial customer demand and the expansion of our commercial efforts,” said Alberto Lacaze, CEO, Robotic Research. “Our long history and experience has enabled us to develop a proven solution that is not only rugged, safe, and reliable, but also versatile and ideal for operating across a variety of environments, weather conditions, and use cases.”
Robotic Research has successfully deployed autonomous and robotics solutions on roadways around the globe as well as in the industry’s harshest, unstructured environments. The company’s vehicle-agnostic autonomy kit, AutoDrive®, has already been integrated in a variety of vehicles including North America’s first automated heavy-duty transit bus, Class 8 trucks, and yard trucks. AutoDrive® can be used on-road, off-road, or in the yard, making it uniquely suited to provide a 360° autonomous driving solution that spans a variety of complex operational design domains (ODDs).
“We believe that autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to reshape how goods and people are moved around,” said Akshay Naheta, Senior Vice President of SoftBank Group Corp and former Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. “Robotic Research has a track record of operating in the commercial sector and has built a differentiated autonomy solution by focusing on tangible, revenue-generating opportunities. We are thrilled to be a financial partner and provide resources needed to accelerate the commercialization of Robotic Research’s solutions.”
This is the first strategic equity investment to date by Luminar, a global leader in automotive-grade lidar hardware and software technology. Robotic Research is working alongside Luminar on strategic opportunities to advance autonomy and has selected Luminar as its long-range lidar provider.
UBS Investment Bank acted as financial advisor and placement agent for Robotic Research. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP acted as legal advisor, and Covington & Burling LLP acted as special counsel to Robotic Research.
About RR.AI
RR.AI is the commercial division of Robotic Research––a global technology company that has delivered autonomous mobility and robotics solutions to the defense sector for two decades. RR.AI’s vehicle-agnostic, full-stack autonomy kit (AutoDrive®) is a proven autonomous driving system for both on and off-road environments and is trusted by industry-leading OEM partners. It is uniquely suited to provide an end-to-end, 360° autonomous driving solution for commercial transportation that spans across complex operational design domains (ODDs). To learn more about RR.AI, visit www.rr.ai.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211208006171/en/
Contact information
Media
Don Lefeve
Head of Corporate Affairs
Press@rr.ai
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IO Interactive Announces Olivier Perbet as Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer2.7.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
IO Interactive, the award-winning developer and publisher behind the globally-acclaimed HITMAN franchise, is proud to announce the promotion of Olivier Perbet to Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer (CMRO). In this expanded role, Olivier will now oversee both marketing and revenue operations across the studio’s portfolio, including Digital and Physical Sales, Business Development, and go-to-market strategy, as IOI enters an exciting new chapter of growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702593970/en/ © IO Interactive A/S Olivier joined IO Interactive as Chief Marketing Officer in 2023, bringing with him over 20 years of experience across gaming, consumer electronics, and entertainment. Since then, he has played a key role in scaling IOI’s global publishing capabilities, supporting the set-up of IOI Partners and delivering standout campaigns. Under Olivier’s leadership, IOI recently celebrated major milestone
Seoul Semiconductor’s World’s No.1 Technology Targets EV and Autonomous Vehicle Markets2.7.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ: 046890), the world’s No. 1 company in LED backlight, announced on July 2nd that its proprietary No-wire technology, WICOP, has been supplied to the automotive market in the form of Mini LED displays since May. As the world’s first No-wire LED technology, WICOP has already proven its performance across various applications—including smartphones, TVs, lighting, and automotive headlamps. Recognized for its superior brightness and durability even in extreme automotive environments, WICOP has now officially entered the automotive display market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702244031/en/ [Figure] Comparison of 1st-Generation LED and 2nd-Generation ‘WICOP’ Structure (Image: Seoul Semiconductor) The No-wire WICOP technology applied to Mini LED enables ultra-slim display designs, making it ideal for full array local dimming. This allows for deeper contrast and higher bright
Barilla Launches 7th Edition of Good Food Makers to Shape the Future of Food2.7.2025 15:20:00 EEST | Press release
Barilla officially opens applications for Good Food Makers 2025, its open innovation program dedicated to startups and innovative companies focused on creating a more sustainable and connected food system. Now in its seventh edition, the program welcomes a new format — Good Food Makers – ECOSYSTEM — developed in collaboration with Almacube, the innovation hub of the University of Bologna and Confindustria Emilia. This year’s goal is to build a true innovation ecosystem by involving Barilla’s value chain partners and accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies. Three selected startups will join a four-week co-development journey with Barilla professionals and partner companies, working side-by-side to create impactful solutions across the entire food chain — from field to fork. Applications are open until the end of July, with the program running from September to January 2026, concluding with the Innovation Day. “Good Food Makers reflects our commitment to open innovation that g
SE Labs Award Reinforces NetApp Status as the Most Secure Storage on the Planet2.7.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that it was recognized as a standout performer in cybersecurity in the SE LABS ® Awards 2025. NetApp won the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection, validating NetApp’s status as the most secure storage on the planet. This recognition as a winner of a 2025 SE Labs Award is a result of NetApp’s exceptional innovation in cyber resiliency to deliver NetApp ONTAP® Autonomous Ransomware Protection with Artificial Intelligence (ARP/AI), which was tested and validated by SE Labs. NetApp ARP/AI demonstrated 99 percent detection of tested, advanced full-file encryption ransomware attacks with zero false positives, indicating a strong ability to operate in a business context without contributing to alert fatigue. “Great security doesn’t just happen—it’s built, tested and proven,” says Simon Edwards, Founder and CEO of SE Labs. “Behind every high performing security product is a team committed to excel
CroíValve Announces Funding from Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator2.7.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
CroíValve, a pioneering medical device company innovating a better way to help more patients suffering from Tricuspid Regurgitation (TR), was awarded funding from Horizon Europe’s European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702306192/en/ DUO™ Transcatheter Tricuspid System Part of the EU’s Horizon Europe 2021-2027 Research and Innovation Programme, the EIC Accelerator Programme provides transformational funding to high-potential, high-risk start-ups, scale-ups and subject matter experts. This award includes grant funding of €2.5 million, combined with an equity investment of €10 million in CroiValve’s next financing. The latest competition included 959 applications, with only 40 awards across 16 countries. Almost one third of the selected companies are led by a woman and CroiValve are incredibly proud to be one of this group. “Securing European Innovation Council
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom