The autonomous vehicles industry is fast-growing and concentrated heavily in California, with a variety of companies focusing on developing self-driving technology. These organizations range from those offering self-driving ride-hailing services, autonomous electric taxis, to those providing autonomous trucking solutions. Customers are drawn to the safety features and innovations these firms offer, and with technology developing rapidly, these companies are continuing to push the boundaries. The industry is evolving towards smarter, cleaner and economical driving solutions that may reshape the future landscape of transportation.

Top 25 autonomous vehicles companies in California

1. Zoox

• Website: zoox.com
• Headquarters: Foster City, California, United States
• Founded: 2014
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Acquired
• LinkedIn

Zoox is a company focused on providing autonomous transportation solutions. They offer a shared fleet of all-electric vehicles designed for riders, not drivers, aiming to reduce congestion and pollution in cities.

2. Waymo

• Website: waymo.com
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founded: 2009
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Private Equity
• LinkedIn

Waymo is a leading autonomous technology company that offers autonomous ride-hailing services and autonomous trucking solutions. They are focused on transforming transportation by providing safe and efficient autonomous solutions for both passengers and goods. With over 20 billion miles driven, Waymo is a pioneer in the industry.

3. Cruise

• Website: getcruise.com
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2013
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Secondary Market
• LinkedIn

Cruise is a self-driving car company that offers autonomous vehicles and driverless rides. They provide a safe and inclusive transportation service, with all-electric and emission-free vehicles. Customers can enjoy the freedom of exploring their way, knowing that safety is a top priority.

4. Nuro

• Website: nuro.ai
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Series D
• LinkedIn

Nuro.ai is a robotics company focused on improving everyday life through autonomous vehicle technology. Their mission is to make everyday tasks easier and more efficient, starting with autonomous delivery services.

5. Aurora

• Website: aurora.tech
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founded: 2017
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Post Ipo Equity
• LinkedIn

Aurora.tech is a company focused on developing autonomous vehicle technology to reduce crashes and save lives on America's roads. They use simulation testing to drive the development of their Aurora Driver, which is designed to operate both trucks and passenger vehicles. Their custom-designed sensor suite allows their vehicles to travel safely at highway speeds. Aurora.tech partners with leading automakers, suppliers, and freight companies to put autonomous trucks and cars on the map.

6. AutoX

• Website: autox.ai
• Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 1001-5000
• Latest funding type: Series B
• LinkedIn

AutoX is an autonomous car company that specializes in providing driverless taxi services. With a focus on accessibility, AutoX aims to make self-driving technology available to everyone. The company has a large engineering team with multiple R&D centers globally. AutoX has successfully removed safety drivers from its fleet of RoboTaxis, making it a pioneer in the field.

7. Velodyne Lidar

• Website: velodynelidar.com
• Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
• Founded: 2007
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Acquired
• LinkedIn

Velodyne Lidar is a trusted provider of accurate and reliable sensor data for various applications. Their innovative lidar sensors power safe autonomy in autonomous vehicles and other industries. With a range of products like the Alpha Prime, Puck, and Velarray M1600, Velodyne offers precise vision and near-field imaging for autonomy. They are known for their high-quality sensors and contributions to the lidar industry.

8. TuSimple

• Website: tusimple.com
• Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
• Founded: 2015
• Headcount: 501-1000
• Latest funding type: Ipo
• LinkedIn

TuSimple is a self-driving truck company that is redefining supply chain logistics by offering game-changing autonomous capacity to shippers and carriers. Through strategic relationships and the TuSimple Autonomous Freight Network (AFN), the company is creating the self-driving infrastructure to make autonomous trucking possible.

9. Ouster

• Website: ouster.com
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2015
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Debt Financing
• LinkedIn

Ouster.com offers high-performance digital lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and industrial applications. Their lidar sensors provide 3D vision with 360-degree coverage and a range of 120 meters. They serve a wide range of industries and have a global presence.

10. Plus

• Website: plus.ai
• Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Series D
• LinkedIn

Plus.ai is a self-driving truck company that offers autonomous driving solutions for the trucking industry. Their PlusDrive technology aims to enhance road safety and elevate driver experience, with the goal of achieving full autonomy in the future.

11. Inceptio Technology

• Website: inceptio.ai
• Headquarters: Fremont, California, United States
• Founded: 2018
• Headcount: 501-1000
• Latest funding type: Series B
• LinkedIn

Inceptio.ai is a technology company specializing in autonomous driving systems and solutions. They offer a full-stack proprietary and mass-production oriented technology for autonomous trucks. Inceptio has achieved strategic partnerships with industry leaders, such as Budweiser, to enable green logistics with their autonomous driving solutions.

12. Starship Technologies

• Website: starship.xyz
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2014
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Series B
• LinkedIn

Starship Technologies is a company that specializes in autonomous delivery robots. They offer a delivery-as-a-service solution for partners, allowing stores and restaurants to integrate robots into their delivery fleets, providing cost-efficient and energy-efficient last mile deliveries. Their cute robots make food and package deliveries more efficient, convenient, and sustainable, bringing joy to the delivery world and saving customers time.

13. DeepRoute.ai

• Website: deeproute.ai
• Headquarters: Fremont, California, United States
• Founded: 2019
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Series B
• LinkedIn

DeepRoute.ai is a company specializing in autonomous driving technology. They provide self-driving vehicles and related solutions, enabling consumers to experience safe and efficient autonomous transportation.

14. Embark Trucks

• Website: embarktrucks.com
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 201-500
• Latest funding type: Post Ipo Equity
• LinkedIn

Embark Trucks is a leading autonomous truck company that specializes in delivering innovative software solutions to the trucking industry. They have successfully reached a milestone of 100,000 real-world autonomous miles and offer a tailor-made solution for trucking companies, resulting in a 40% reduction in delivery time and a 300% increase in annual per truck revenue. Trusted by leading shippers and carriers, their Guardian features provide complete oversight over autonomous truck operations with 24/7 monitoring, intelligent dispatching, and remote assist capabilities.

15. Fetch Robotics

• Website: fetchrobotics.com
• Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
• Founded: 2014
• Headcount: 51-200
• Latest funding type: Acquired
• LinkedIn

Fetch Robotics offers AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) solutions for e-commerce facilities, optimizing order picking, batch picking, replenishment, and more.

16. Kodiak Robotics

• Website: kodiak.ai
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founded: 2018
• Headcount: 51-200
• Latest funding type: Grant
• LinkedIn

Kodiak is a self-driving technology company focused on revolutionizing the trucking industry. They offer autonomous freight solutions for long-haul trucks, providing efficient and safe transportation of goods. With a team experienced in cutting-edge technologies like autonomous drones and military radar, Kodiak is dedicated to overcoming the challenges of the trucking industry. Partner with them to accelerate your business and unlock the benefits of self-driving delivery.

17. Innovusion

• Website: innovusion.com
• Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 51-200
• Latest funding type: Series C
• LinkedIn

Innovusion is a company that specializes in the development and production of high-performance LiDAR technology for a range of industries, including automotive, infrastructure, railway, and mining. Their innovative solutions enable intelligent infrastructure and provide reliable and autonomous capabilities. By leveraging advanced AI and ultra-long range LiDAR technology, Innovusion is at the forefront of creating a safer and more efficient world.

18. LILEE Systems

• Website: lileesystems.com
• Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States
• Founded: 2009
• Headcount: 51-200
• LinkedIn

LILEE Systems is a company that specializes in providing autonomous bus and rail safety solutions. They offer event and sensor-based fleet safety systems, including real-time surveillance videos of driver behaviors, passengers, and road conditions. The company focuses on enhancing passenger experience and protecting riders, drivers, and assets. They also provide Wi-Fi monetization solutions and flexible portable Wi-Fi systems.

19. comma.ai

• Website: comma.ai
• Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Series Unknown
• LinkedIn

comma.ai is a company that develops open-source software for self-driving cars. Their software, openpilot, allows users to add autonomous driving features to their vehicles. They offer documentation, support, and a community for users to contribute and improve the software.

20. PIX Moving

• Website: pixmoving.com
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2017
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Series A
• LinkedIn

PIX Moving is a company that focuses on rebuilding cities with autonomous mobility. They offer software-defined modular design and provide accessible hardware interfaces for smart vehicles. Their goal is to create an innovative autonomous driving and smart vehicle application ecosystem.

21. LookingBus

• Website: lookingbus.com
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, United States
• Founded: 2017
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Grant
• LinkedIn

LookingBus is a technology company that utilizes connected vehicle technology to improve accessibility for driverless vehicles. Their technology notifies autonomous shuttles when riders with disabilities arrive at a stop, allowing for wheelchair ramp deployment and remote live agent communication. LookingBus aims to make public transportation service more equitable and accessible, specifically for riders with disabilities.

22. Faction

• Website: faction.us
• Headquarters: South San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2020
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Grant
• LinkedIn

Faction is a technology company specializing in right-sizing driverless transportation. They offer rides on demand that are ready when you are, as well as micro-delivery services. Their autonomy-driven DriveLink® Platform is currently undergoing on-road trials.

23. Solo AVT

• Website: soloavt.com
• Headquarters: Fremont, California, United States
• Founded: 2021
• Headcount: 11-50
• LinkedIn

Solo Advanced Vehicles Technologies (Solo AVT) is revolutionizing the freight transportation industry by building the first ground-up, long-haul battery electric Class 8 truck designed specifically for autonomous driving.

24. udelv

• Website: udelv.com
• Headquarters: Burlingame, California, United States
• Founded: 2017
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Seed
• LinkedIn

Udelv is a company that offers autonomous delivery solutions. They provide a Total Fleet Solution for businesses, including autonomous vehicles and tele-operations technology. With their innovative uPod vehicle and advanced autonomy technology, Udelv enables efficient and convenient deliveries for various industries.

25. Soar Robotics

• Website: soarrobotics.com
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
• Founded: 2020
• Headcount: 11-50
• Latest funding type: Seed
• LinkedIn

Soar Robotics provides universal connectivity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles, as well as robots. They specialize in simulating wireless network performance for vehicles on the road, ensuring optimal coverage and capacity. With their cloud intelligence and seamless connectivity, they enable autonomous operations in urban and industrial applications.

Want to find more autonomous vehicles companies?

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