Glideways, a San Francisco-based startup that is developing personal autonomous pods designed to operate on dedicated two-meter-wide lanes in cities. raised 170 million dollars In the Series C funding round.
The round was co-led by Suzuki Motor Corporation, ACS Group and Khosla Ventures. Existing investors Mitsui Chemicals and Gates Frontier and new investor Obayashi Corporation also participated.
Now, it seems like the startup is already in discussions to raise $250 million in funding, which would take its valuation to over $1 billion. Bloomberg reported.
Glideways has made progress on its concept, which it claims can move 10,000 people per hour, per lane, and reduce infrastructure costs by 90% compared to rail. The startup, founded in 2016, is launching three operational pilots this year in Atlanta, New York City, and the United Arab Emirates. The company aims to begin large-scale operations in 2027.
This new idea has attracted influential backers, including OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who invested in Glideways Series B. Investor Vinod Khosla, who sits on the startup’s board, previously told TechCrunch that glideways — and not robotaxis — were a better solution for cities. Khosla said the startup’s transportation system could replace most cars in most of our cities over the next 25 years.
“It sounds radical, but these entrepreneurs want to do it, and I’m pretty sure it will happen, and it’s not robotaxis; it’s not Waymo. It’s a better solution.”
