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Even though it was a short week, there were still some noteworthy updates in the world of transportation. From another Zoox recall to the latest on the Stellantis-Amazon partnership and some exciting startup funding deals, there’s a lot to catch up on.
One particularly interesting development is the ongoing patent infringement lawsuit between Carma Technology and Uber. Carma, founded by Sean O’Sullivan, has filed a lawsuit against Uber, alleging infringement on five patents related to ride-sharing technology. This case is shaping up to be quite challenging for Uber, as Carma has strategically built a strong patent portfolio over the past 18 years.
The complexity of the case lies in the fact that Carma’s five patents are part of a larger family of 30 patents, all interconnected and related to the original filing date. This means that Uber will have to defend against each individual claim within the patents, making the litigation process more intricate and difficult to navigate.
Moving on to some other news, there have been whispers about a new autonomous vehicle startup called Bedrock Robotics, led by Boris Sofman, known for his work at Waymo and Anki. While still in stealth mode, Bedrock Robotics is reportedly working on a self-driving kit for construction equipment and heavy machinery.
In terms of deals, Firefly Aerospace secured a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman, Pallet raised $27 million in a Series B funding round, Volteras closed an $11.1 million Series A, and Way Data Technologies raised €2.6 million in pre-seed funding.
In the realm of autonomous vehicles, Rivr is testing a delivery robot in Austin, TuSimple (now CreateAI) faced scrutiny for sending sensitive data to a Beijing-owned firm, and Zoox issued its second software recall following a collision in San Francisco.
On the electric vehicles front, the Tesla Cybertruck is facing challenges with unsold inventory and steep depreciation rates, while Tesla sales in Europe and the U.K. have declined. Additionally, four former Volkswagen executives have received prison sentences in connection to the emissions cheating scandal of 2015.
Lastly, the partnership between Amazon and Stellantis for in-car software has come to an end, with Stellantis pivoting to an Android-based system.
That wraps up the latest updates in the world of mobility and transportation. Stay tuned for more exciting news and insights right here on JS Mobility!
