Nuro is developing an autonomous car stack and its own autonomous vehicle created specifically to deliver goods. In 2018, it partnered with Kroger to pilot a delivery service in Arizona. It’s raised over US$1 billion from other investors like Gaorong Capital and Greylock Partners. (TechCrunch)
Talking point: There have been significant developments in both the goods-delivery and autonomous-vehicle industries in the past several months. Instacart—which came under fire for subsidizing worker wages with tips—announced in September 2018 that it’s hiring 200 people at its Toronto office focused on research and development. It’s a key partner for grocers like Loblaw. Autonomous-vehicle development is also ramping up in the U.S., with Google’s Waymo nearing a deal with Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi as of last week. With Amazon among investors in self-driving car startup Aurora’s US$530 million round reported last week, this massive SoftBank investment shows where investors see the future of the delivery industry.