- Business Insider asked seven venture capitalists to choose the two self-driving startups they believe have the most potential.
- At least one of the VC’s picks had to come from outside their firm’s portfolio.
- Many of their choices reflected the autonomy industry’s increasing focus on trucking and deliveries over ride-hail.
- Aurora Innovation was picked four times, more than any other company.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Self-driving taxis have taken longer to reach widespread adoption than experts predicted during the 2010s. That may be why venture capitalists see potential in autonomous-vehicle startups that are focused on applications, like trucking and mining, that present fewer technological challenges than ride-hailing.
Business Insider asked seven venture capitalists to pick the two autonomous-vehicle startups they believe have the most promise, with the caveat that only one could be a company their firm has invested in. Their selections reflected the industry’s increasing focus on business models that present a quicker path to commercialization than robotaxis and consumer cars.
These 10 startups could play a major role in that pivot.