Micromobility startup Also, which originated as an internal project at Rivian and was spun off in 2023, has announced a strategic partnership with DoorDash to develop autonomous delivery vehicles. The collaboration follows DoorDash’s participation in Also’s $200 million Series C funding round, led by Greenoaks Capital, bringing the startup’s total funding to $505 million and valuing it at over $1 billion.
As part of the deal, DoorDash will join Also’s board of directors, signaling a deepening relationship between the two companies. Also, which began as a skunkworks project inside Rivian in 2022, initially aimed to build an electric bike and collaborated with Jony Ive’s design firm LoveFrom. Its first product is a high-end e-bike, but the company has also showcased small, pedal-assist delivery vehicles designed to navigate bike lanes while carrying over 400 pounds of packages.
Strategic expansion into autonomy
Also’s partnership with DoorDash marks its first major foray into autonomous vehicle development, though the specifics of the technology remain unclear. Rivian, which has invested in Also, has been developing its own autonomy stack, including custom silicon and an autonomy computer, hinting at potential cross-pollination between the companies. However, DoorDash may contribute its own autonomous technology, as it has operated a robot delivery vehicle called Dot in the Phoenix area since late 2023. Dot, equipped with lidar, radar, and cameras, can autonomously navigate roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks at speeds up to 20 mph.
Rivian’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe and Also CEO Chris Yu have previously indicated that Also would leverage Rivian’s technology, retail presence, and economies of scale in its products. While Rivian’s autonomy tech—including a mix of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and lidar—could be utilized, the extent of this integration remains unspecified. Also has also received early-stage support from Eclipse Ventures, which invested $105 million in the startup and is backing Mind Robotics, Rivian’s external industrial AI company.
DoorDash’s investment and board seat underscore its commitment to advancing autonomous last-mile delivery solutions, a growing focus in the logistics sector. The partnership aligns with Also’s broader mission to redefine urban mobility and delivery, building on its existing relationship with Amazon, which placed an order for thousands of Also’s delivery vehicles in late 2023.
Read more: techcrunch.com