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Waymo might be the largest commercial robotaxi operator — offering 250,000 paid rides per week — but it is hardly smooth.
The past seven days in Waymo’s world illustrates just how dynamic the burgeoning robotaxi business can be. The company limited service nationwide on June 13 ahead of scheduled “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump and his policies.
Days later, Waymo announced it was expanding its robotaxi service area by another 80 square miles in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Silicon Valley.
And now Waymo is eyeing the biggest city in the United States: New York City. One note on NYC: This will be a marathon for Waymo. The company is applying for a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in the city, but even if it gets approved, it won’t mean driverless testing. A truly driverless (no human behind the wheel) vehicle will require a change in state law. Expect lobbying activity to ramp up in the state.
Let’s get into the rest of the news.
A little bird
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Deals!
Applied Intuition keeps attracting investors, and it has an eye-popping valuation to show for it.
The buzzy startup, which makes software that helps companies and government agencies develop autonomous vehicle solutions such as simulation software and managing data, closed a $600 million Series F and tender offer. That round, which was co-led by BlackRock-managed funds and Kleiner Perkins, pushed its valuation up to $15 billion. Yes, $15 billion.
Other investors included Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Greycroft, and more. Existing investors General Catalyst, Lux, Elad Gil, and Mary Meeker’s growth fund Bond also participated.
Reminder: The round comes just one year after it completed a $250 million Series E, which put the company at a $6 billion valuation.
Other deals worth noting …
Archer Aviation raised an additional $850 million through a registered direct offering of 85 million shares at $10 per share. The company noted in its announcement that this followed President Trump’s executive order to implement an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program in the United States.
Senra Systems, a Southern California-based startup developing wire harnesses for aerospace, raised $25 million in a round co-led by Dylan Field, the co-founder and CEO of design software company Figma; VC firm CIV; General Catalyst; Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund; Sequoia Capital; Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC; and Andreessen Horowitz.
Micromobility
This newsletter used to have a dedicated section for micromobility, a reflection of its popularity at the time. Micromobility went through a period of consolidation and tightening capital, which forced the industry to grow up. But it hasn’t disappeared, and that’s why I’m bringing it back this week (and occasionally in the future).
Reporter Rebecca Bellan hosted a roundtable with Voi CEO Fredrik Hjelm, Bird co-CEO Michael Washinushi, and Dott/Tier CEO Henri Moissinac at the Micromobility Europe event in Brussels. Here are some of her insights from the panel and from the broader event:
Shared micromobility has evolved from a public nuisance to a viable form of public transportation. Cities like Paris are now handing out four-year contracts, which will help operators set down roots.
Europe has had an easier time of it than the U.S. Washinushi reckons North America is 18 to 24 months behind Europe in accepting micromobility as public transportation.
The companies that have survived the last few years are better and stronger, and are now working toward profitability and deepening growth in core markets. Bird, for example, is estimating it is 12 to 18 months away from free cash flow positivity.
Operators are doing that in a number of ways. Voi, for example, is tapping LLMs to turn user feedback into real-time, actionable insights. Voi also said it would be interested in acquiring companies, like Bolt’s micromobility business, to deepen its foothold.
All of the companies said they plan to add more e-bikes to the mix. Washinushi also noted that Bird is prioritizing using data to deploy vehicles at the right place and time.
The CEOs also said that they want to see more from cities in terms of enforcing scooter caps, policing rider behavior, and creating dedicated infrastructure like protected bike lanes.
Other micromobility news …
Honda launched an all-electric last-mile delivery vehicle called the Fastport eQuad.
The eQuad comes in two sizes built on the same basic platform, small and large. Both are smaller than the smallest Mini Cooper but can carry between 320 and 650 pounds. They have pedals, and their top speed is limited to 12 mph (20 kph), both requirements to keep them bike-lane legal.
VanMoof is back and has launched its first e-bike since bankruptcy. Reporter Rebecca Bellan digs into what is the same and what has changed at VanMoof.
Bellan also provided a list of startups rolling out of Europe’s early-stage micromobility scene.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
Zoox has opened its first full-fledged production facility, where it expects to one day build 10,000 robotaxis per year.
Electric vehicles, batteries, & charging
Tesla has partnered with Electrify Expo to launch full-weekend EV test drives. This is an interesting move by Tesla, which has historically used other methods besides third-party events like auto shows or expos to attract new customers. It also could make Electrify Expo a target of protestors who are behind the Tesla Takedown movement.
Car-sharing and ride-hailing
Zoomcar, the Indian car-sharing marketplace, said a hacker accessed the personal data of at least 8.4 million customers, including their names, phone numbers, and car registration numbers. The company became aware of the incident after some of its employees received external communications from a threat actor who claimed to have gained access to the company’s data.
Future of flight
The Paris Air Show included lots of news under the ever-evolving category I call “Future of flight.” Too much to cover everything here, but there were a few highlights: an announcement from U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy that the Federal Aviation Administration and four other regulators will collaborate on an advanced air mobility (AAM) roadmap; Archer Aviation showcased its Midnight aircraft and hosted delegations from more than 20 countries; and Beta Technologies’ Alia became the first electric aircraft to fly at the show.
