The Canadian startup Waabi, which specializes in the development of technologies for unmanned trucks, has announced a strategic partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions. This solution is aimed at the development and commercial integration of self-driving trucks, bringing the company closer to full-scale entry into the unmanned transport market.
Volvo already has experience in cooperation in this area. We will recall that in 2024 the company began working with Aurora Innovation on the Volvo VNL Autonomous model. Now Waabi will use the same platform, but will implement its own technologies, including sensors, software and Waabi Driver computing systems.
According to the founder and CEO of Waabi, Raquel Urtasun, the collaboration with Volvo allows the startup to scale developments using modern artificial intelligence technologies. Waabi is taking an approach called AV 2.0, which is more cost-effective and accelerates the introduction of driverless trucks into the real world.
What makes Waabi Driver unique is that its AI algorithms can mimic human thinking, which minimizes the need for large amounts of data and powerful computing resources for training.
The commercial pilot trucks are scheduled to launch in Texas in the coming months. In 2025, the company will introduce a truck ready for autonomous operation on public roads, and then intends to launch a driverless logistics route without intermediate terminals, carrying out transport directly between customer warehouses.
The partnership between Waabi and Volvo was a logical extension of the automaker’s investment in the startup. In 2022, Volvo Group Venture Capital made a strategic investment in Waabi, and the company later participated in a $200 million financing round.
The production of Waabi driverless trucks will be based at Volvo's Virginia plant. The first batch will roll off the assembly line in 2025, and large-scale production will take another two to three years.
Today, Waabi has raised $282 million in investments, which allows it to finance the launch of the technology. The company's main competitors, Aurora and Kodiak, have significantly larger or comparable financing - $3.46 billion and $243 million, respectively.
Despite possible speculation about a merger or acquisition of the startup, the startup assures that Waabi will remain independent. It is also emphasized that the development of autonomous freight transportation is just the beginning, and the company has ambitions to expand its activities in the areas of robotics and warehouse automation.