TechCrunch, April 9, 2025
Nuro’s $106M raise backs its shift from delivery robots to licensing autonomy tech
We founded Nuro because we were obsessed with how autonomy could improve society: saving lives, giving people back their time, reducing emissions, and bringing communities closer together. Nine years later, as an industry, we are on the precipice of this coming true.
Today, we’re excited to announce a commercial partnership with Uber and Lucid to bring a next-generation, autonomous ride-hailing experience to cities around the world.
Uber + Lucid + Nuro
This partnership is a massive step toward realizing our mission of autonomy for all roads and all rides. It’s proof that two of the industry’s most visionary companies see the same future we do. The unique combination of Uber’s unmatched network, Lucid’s cutting-edge electric vehicles, and our scalable AI-first autonomy makes it possible to bring safe, driverless mobility to millions of people worldwide.
Uber, Lucid, and Nuro will build and deploy 20,000 or more Lucid-Nuro robotaxis in dozens of US and international markets.
The first Uber-native robotaxis will be available for rides in a major US city via the Uber app in late 2026.
Uber will own and operate the vehicles along with its third-party fleet partners.
Lucid will integrate the necessary hardware on the production line at their Casa Grande, Arizona, factory.
Our three teams are committed to delivering on the long-term potential of autonomy. As part of this partnership, Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Nuro and joining our Board of Directors to help us shape the future of autonomous mobility.
A responsible path to scale
At Nuro, we believe we are building something special: an autonomy system that’s not just technically sophisticated, but purpose-built for scale. Our team brings experience across the full AV hardware and software stack to power a best-in-class partner experience, enabling seamless integration of the Nuro Driver into diverse vehicle fleets.
To deliver a generalizable, safe, and high-performing AV system, we train the Nuro Driver to handle real-world conditions using simulation, closed-course testing, expert driving data, and regional datasets from over 150 U.S. cities. We've also expanded internationally, starting in Japan, to lay the foundation for global partner deployments.
With a five-year track record of driverless Level 4 operations and zero at-fault incidents, our commitment to safety is embedded in every mile. From our Federated Safety Framework to our proactive engagement with communities and regulators at every level, we ensure the Nuro Driver earns its place on public roads.
And because autonomy must be flexible and scalable, we’ve designed the Nuro Driver to be vehicle-agnostic, combining cutting-edge AI with low-cost, automotive-grade hardware that adapts to any platform. For personal vehicles, we offer a seamless progression from L2 to L4 capability with Nuro Driver Assist, which delivers the proven safety and AI-first intelligence of our L4 architecture across the full ADAS roadmap.
Whether it’s an automaker like Lucid or a mobility provider like Uber, ourlicensing model helps partners move from prototype to city-scale deployment with confidence, speed, and efficiency.
The road ahead
By joining forces with Uber and Lucid to provide worldwide markets with the best possible robotaxi service, we are delivering on the promise of autonomy to create safer, richer, more connected lives.
And this isn’t just a vision; a fully integrated prototype of our robotaxi is currently operating autonomously at our closed-course testing facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. This vehicle is helping us validate performance, refine the rider experience, and prepare for safe public deployment at scale.
With this partnership, our dream of a world where everyone can experience the benefits of safe, accessible autonomy is within reach. There’s a long road ahead, but we are incredibly excited and inspired by the scale of this opportunity.
Thank you to our devoted team, our wonderful partners, and the communities we serve. We couldn’t ask for better collaborators as we embark on this global journey to make autonomy accessible to all.
Let’s get to work!
— Jiajun & Dave