Amazon invests in startup autonomous cars created by people from Google and Tesla

Aurora Innovation, a startup of autonomous technologies,run by the former head of Google’s automotive division (the one without drivers), received funding in the amount of half a billion dollars ($ 500,000,000) from a large group of investors, including Amazon. This is a clear sign that the online trading giant is actively working in the world of self-managed transport.

At the end of last month it became known thatEmbark self-propelled truck startup transports Amazon cargo at test sites. A week earlier, Amazon announced that it had developed a small autonomous delivery robot called Scout.

"We believe that successful autonomy on the roads will create safer roads and improve working conditions for drivers on long distances."

Amazon develops self-driving cars?

Amazon is active in various fields.automotive industry. She released the dashboard with Alexa and integrated the voice assistant into several cars. Last year, the company also announced a service delivery to the trunk of a car.

Amazon's autonomy ambitions are not new: The company has been working on unmanned drones for many years and is rumored to be developing a home robot. But investing in Aurora is the first public link between the company and autonomous cars.

None of the companies reported which portion of the $ 530 million Amazon had invested (total Aurora raised 620 million).

Aurora was founded in 2016 by Chris Urmsonshortly after he left his post in the Google car program. (He left a few months before this program was renamed Waymo). Urmson recruited Stirling Anderson, who led the Autopilot team at Tesla, and Drew Bagnell, the former head of the autonomous Uber division.

Since then, the company has been quietly working on software.provision for self-driving cars. In fact, Aurora wants to create a nervous system for autonomous transport, and then to cooperate with automakers, introducing their achievements in their cars. In the beginning of 2018, Aurora announced that Volkswagen and Hyundai would be its first customers, and a few months later added the electric car startup Byton to the list.

While dozens of companies are working onWith the technology of self-driving cars, including most of the traditional automakers, Aurora can be proud of its team. This is their main advantage.

What do you think, is this company waiting for success? Tell us in our chat in Telegram.