Micromobility company Also, which was created inside Rivian and spun out last year, will work with DoorDash to develop autonomous delivery vehicles, the companies announced Tuesday.
As part of the deal, DoorDash took part in Also’s $200 million Series C funding round, which was led by previous investor Greenoaks Capital. DoorDash is getting a seat on Also’s board of directors, too.
The raise brings Also’s total funding to $505 million, and puts its valuation above $1 billion. The startup got off the ground with a $105 million investment from Eclipse, which is also backing Mind Robotics — an external industrial AI company that Rivian created late last year.
Also began as a skunkworks project inside Rivian in 2022. The EV-maker initially set out to build an electric bike, and even collaborated with Jony Ive’s design firm LoveFrom, as TechCrunch first reported last year. Also’s first product is a high-end, funky-looking e-bike, but it has also shown off designs for small, pedal-assist delivery vehicles.
Amazon — which is a major investor in, and partner with Rivian — placed an order for thousands of these delivery vehicles late last year. Also has said these can carry more than 400 pounds of packages while still being small enough to fit in a bike lane.
The DoorDash deal is the first indication that Also will be developing autonomous versions of its small electric vehicles. Rivian founder RJ Scaringe and Also CEO Chris Yu told TechCrunch last year that almost any form factor was on the table — within practical limits.
Rivian and Also have said that the micromobility startup would leverage the automaker’s tech in its products, as well as its retail presence and economies of scale. It’s not clear if Also will leverage the autonomy tech that Rivian has been working on.
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Rivian currently plans to use a mix of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and eventually lidar to bring autonomy to its vehicles. And late last year Rivian revealed it has developed its own custom silicon and autonomy computer in an effort to make its own vehicles increasingly capable of self-driving. Scaringe has already hinted that Mind Robotics would use this chip, so it’s possible that Also could as well. TechCrunch has reached out to both Rivian and Also and will update this story if they respond.
It’s possible that DoorDash will handle the autonomous tech.
The company has its own autonomy department and spent several years developing a robot vehicle called Dot that is equipped with lidar, radar, and camera sensors and can autonomously drive on roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. The brightly colored vehicle with cartoon-like eyes can travel up to 20 miles an hour and is delivering in the Metro Phoenix area.
