Discover the top 30 autonomous vehicle startups impacting transportation across industries. From electric autonomous shuttles to smart drones and underwater vehicles, these startups are improving efficiency, sustainability, and safety in mobility solutions.
This article highlights technologies, including AI-powered navigation, autonomous driving assistance, and modular designs that are changing urban and rural transportation systems. Also, discover how these startups are shaping the future of autonomous mobility with innovative products and real-world applications.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights Emerging Autonomous Vehicle Startups to Watch
Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 5M+ startups & scaleups globally alongside 20K+ technologies & trends, we identified 790+ autonomous vehicle startups.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging autonomous vehicle startups you should watch in 2025 as well as the geo-distribution of 790+ startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.
Moreover, based on the heat map, we see high startup activity in Western Europe and the United States, followed by India. The top 5 Autonomous Vehicle Startup Hubs are in San Francisco, London, Los Angeles, Bangalore, and New York City.
Meet 30 Autonomous Vehicle Startups to Watch in 2025
We hand-picked these autonomous vehicle startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics.
These autonomous vehicle startups work on solutions ranging from electric autonomous vehicles and customizable electric LCV solutions to plug-and-play driving assistants and non-deep learning computer vision technology.
- EVIE Autonomous – Electric Autonomous Vehicles
- Kommu – Plug and Play Driving Assistant
- Vatn Systems – Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
- Anadolu Robotik – Unmanned Marine Systems
- Ribbit – Pilotless Delivery Planes
- Ailand Systems – Smart Autonomous Drones
- Bullwork Mobility – AI/ML-powered Smart Farming
- SAPIIENT Advanced Technologies – AI-driven Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
- aidymo-cv – Non-Deep Learning Computer Vision Technology
- CUBONIC – Customizable Electric LCV Solutions
- Omnitron Sensors – Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Sensing Technology
- Hipert – Modular Long-range Underwater Autonomous Vehicles
- Clevon – On-demand Autonomous Delivery Vehicles
- Eight Knot – Autonomous Boats Network
- iGo – Autonomous Micromobility
- AS.CAR.I – Autonomous Car Intelligence
- STEVmotion – Autonomous Vineyard Vehicle
- CP6 – Autonomous Mobility Accident Analysis
- Autonomous Knight – Autonomous Long Range Electro-Optical Unit
- Tripleye – 3D Environment Perception
- Turing Motors – Driverless Electric Vehicles
- Robeff Technology – Autonomous Delivery Robots
- dRISK – Autonomous Vehicle Training
- Vanilla Robotics – Robot Fleet Management
- driveblocks – Vehicle Autonomy Software Modules
- Mozee – Autonomous Vehicle Fleets & Infrastructure
- Vehiqilla – Autonomous Vehicle Security
- Segments.ai – Vehicle Data Labeling
- GetUgo – Vehicle Teleoperation
- MultiplEYE – Omnidirectional Environment Sensing
1. EVIE Autonomous
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Staffordshire, UK
- Use For: Autonomous Shuttle Pods
EVIE Autonomous creates electric, fully autonomous shuttles for a variety of uses, such as last-mile deliveries, passenger transportation, and security.
The startup’s pods use computer vision, AI-powered navigation, and 4D radar systems to identify and react to changing environmental circumstances without the need for human assistance.
Every shuttle has scalable and modular designs that provide flexibility to meet a range of operating requirements, from helping with agricultural operations to transporting cargo.
EVIE Autonomous improves traffic efficiency by communicating with infrastructure in real-time by integrating its shuttles into smart city ecosystems. It increases safety, and the environmentally friendly electric drivetrain lowers carbon emissions with advanced pedestrian identification and accident avoidance features.
The startup also advances urban and rural mobility by combining automation with sustainability, providing effective, secure, and eco-friendly solutions to transportation problems.
2. Kommu
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Selangor, Malaysia
- Use For: Converting Automobiles into Partially Autonomous Machines
Kommu offers a plug-and-play driving assistant that turns conventional automobiles into partially autonomous machines. Its device KommuAssist 1s offers features including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping, and stop-and-go capabilities.
The technology ensures easy navigation even in difficult situations. It allows customers to install the assistant rapidly without having to modify their vehicle due to its simple setup. This makes advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) accessible to a larger audience.
Moreover, the gadget improves safety by continuously analyzing the environment and modifying driving techniques accordingly.
3. Vatn Systems
- Founding Year: 2023
- Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US
- Use For: Underwater Vehicles for Safety
- Funding: Secured a USD 13 million seed funding round with investors including DYNE Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, RTX Ventures, In-Q-Tel & others
Vatn Systems creates affordable autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that are capable of operating in difficult conditions including underwater areas with limited communication, vision, or GPS.
The startup’s AUVs execute missions effectively and precisely even in harsh environments due to its proprietary navigation algorithms. It allows users to customize payloads for missions including undersea mapping, defense reconnaissance, and environmental monitoring due to its modular design.
Its features, such as the CivTAK plugin and custom planners, offer low-cost sonar alternatives, swarm coordination capabilities, and real-time mission control. Vatn Systems also enables enterprises to scale underwater operations at a lower cost by optimizing operational dependability while minimizing hardware expenses.
4. Anadolu Robotik
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Kocaeli, Turkey
- Use For: Underwater Observation Activities
Anadolu Robotik creates unmanned marine systems for handling operational difficulties in maritime settings. Its key products, like the ARGON 300 and ARGON 600, carry out tasks like marine surveillance and underwater research.
These devices’ integration of sensors and self-navigating technologies allows for correct data collection and mobility in erratic underwater environments. The startup ensures safety throughout crucial operations by including strong collision avoidance and fault detection systems.
Additionally, Anadolu Robotik offers adaptable payload combinations to suit a range of uses, such as defense, commercial exploration, and research. Anadolu Robotik also partnered with Turkish defense company Sekiz Altmis to improve the Muhafız USVs for the Arida-M system.
5. Ribbit
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Use For: Air Cargo Delivery
Ribbit develops pilotless delivery aircraft to deliver freight to hard-to-reach, rural, and distant locations. The startup retrofits existing aircraft with autonomous autopilot systems to provide safe and correct navigation under the supervision of remote pilots.
Ribbit’s technology increases delivery ranges by enabling beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. It provides a flexible solution for sectors like disaster assistance, agriculture, and logistics with an emphasis on scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Its self-governing aircraft easily coordinate with other aerial vehicles and air traffic control due to its advanced communication systems.
Ribbit also offers quick, eco-friendly delivery methods by increasing accessibility and optimizing operations, benefiting industries that need frequent cargo shipments.
6. Ailand Systems
- Founding Year: 2023
- Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
- Use For: Crop Monitoring and Pest Control
Ailand Systems makes smart autonomous drones for specific applications including demining, environmental monitoring, and agricultural management.
Its devices, such as the RT1 debugger and ST1 landmine detector, use AI algorithms and machine learning. This analyzes data in real-time, allowing for correct item recognition and decision-making.
These autonomous drones increase productivity in tasks like crop monitoring and pest control while lowering human risk in dangerous situations. The modular architecture ensures industry versatility by enabling customization for various purposes.
7. Bullwork Mobility
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Bangalore, India
- Use For: Farming Autonomous Vehicles
Bullwork Mobility provides autonomous electric solutions for sectors including mining, construction, and agriculture with vehicles like tractors, loaders, and robots.
Its main product, the BEAST electric tractor, has drive-by-wire and autonomous technology that allows for correct and effective operation. These systems make use of AI-powered data analytics to optimize processes and make decisions in real-time.
The startup lessens its influence on the environment by offering electric solutions that minimize emissions while maintaining high productivity.
Additionally, the linked systems from Bullwork Mobility provide predictive maintenance and remote monitoring which ensures operational dependability.
8. SAPIIENT Advanced Technologies
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Ultimo, Australia
- Use For: Defense, Offshore Energy, and Marine Research AUVs
SAPIIENT Advanced Technologies offers AI-powered autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for use in defense, offshore energy, and marine research.
These AUVs operate in challenging and dangerous underwater conditions using AI to process data in real time and perform adaptive navigation. It offers scalable mission planning systems, obstacle avoidance, and multi-sensor integration.
Further, SAPIIENT Advanced Technologies’ modular designs enable customization for tasks including environmental monitoring, seabed mapping, and pipeline inspection.
9. aidymo-cv
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Ashdod, Israel
- Use For: Vision Systems for Small and Large-Scale Operations
aidymo-cv offers non-deep learning computer vision technologies for industries requiring fast, efficient, and cost-effective image processing solutions.
It offers rtCVI, a real-time computer vision analysis platform for autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The patented algorithms offer high-performance object identification, recognition, and tracking, eliminating the need for computationally demanding deep learning frameworks.
This method enables deployment on embedded systems and edge devices by lowering the hardware requirements. Moreover, aidymo-cv’s technology supports applications in autonomous navigation, quality assurance, and security monitoring.
10. CUBONIC
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Pulheim, Germany
- Use For: Last-mile Delivery
CUBONIC provides scalable electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV) systems that combine automation, fleet management, and modular electric cars for smooth, effective, and environmentally friendly last-mile mobility.
Its distinctive design includes a lightweight steel lower body and an advanced braking system. It also offers a rigid performance steering system with redundancy and a modular battery system with a range that can be adjusted.
The vehicles include different load body combinations, a conventional flat-floor walk-through cabin, and customizable interiors to meet the needs of the user. Further, its modular design and agile production allow for quick scalability and effective small-series manufacturing.
11. Omnitron Sensors
- Founding Year: 2019
- Location: Los Angeles, California, US
- Use For: Silicon Processors
Omnitron Sensors builds MEMS sensing technology to enhance efficiency and performance. The startup’s core IP leverages a new topology for MEMS, simplifying assembly and improving device performance.
Utilizing silicon on insulator (SOI) and surface machining, it creates a hybrid design with three-dimensional polysilicon for MEMS sensors and actuators, similar to microelectromechanical origami.
This design achieves higher capacitance per unit area and allows more flexible system alignment for optical applications. Moreover, it reduces costs and enhances production efficiency for price-sensitive, high-volume markets.
The technology benefits industries relying on MEMS devices, such as automotive, consumer electronics, security systems, and environmental sensors.
12. Hipert
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Modena, Italy
- Use For: Farming, Delivery & Warehouse Automation
Hipert develops advanced autonomous driving systems, focusing on AI, algorithms, and software solutions. Its products include aerial drones, autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, street cars, and cameras, among others.
The startup’s aerial drones are embedded with intelligence and have industrial, societal, environmental, and agricultural applications.
Its underwater autonomous vehicles include a remotely controlled catamaran, an AUV manipulator, and a modular long-range underwater autonomous vehicle (LRUAV).
Moreover, Hipert develops forklifts for autonomous warehouse operations and autonomous rovers for delivery transportation.
13. Clevon
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas, US
- Use For: Electric Robot Carriers
Clevon manufactures autonomous electric robot carriers for last-mile delivery. These vehicles easily navigate through the urban environment, delivering various goods, ranging from groceries to home appliances.
A single teleoperator oversees multiple carriers, leading to a substantial reduction in operational costs. By revolutionizing delivery methods with zero emissions, the startup also assists companies in meeting their carbon emission targets.
14. Eight Knot
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Sakai, Japan
- Use For: On-demand Aquatic Transit
- Funding: Secured 570 Million Yen in Pre-Series A Funding in September 2024
Eight Knot develops AI Captain, an autonomous navigation platform for small vessels. This AI-powered marine control system determines the efficient route and ensures safe navigation to the destination.
It is equipped with sensors to identify potential obstructions, including other vessels and floating debris. Further, the startup provides an autonomous docking feature that leverages multiple sensors to detect and estimate the distance from the pier.
The system automatically departs and docks, taking into account environmental factors such as tidal currents and wave patterns. Through the integration of AI and robotics, Eight Knot advances aquatic mobility.
15. iGo
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Bangalore, India
- Use For: Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)
iGo develops BeiGo, an electric bike that incorporates an advanced driving assistance system (ADAS). This system includes features such as self-stabilization at low speeds and intelligent auto-swiveling at high speeds.
The vehicles are designed with a focus on safety and smart mobility, while also maintaining a high capacity and minimal environmental impact.
The ADAS utilizes predictive data analytics to promote safer user behavior and adherence to road etiquette.
The E2W technology includes a motorbike with auto-summoning, auto-parking, and auto-docking capabilities, along with features such as SOS, remote speed limitation, and 5G compatibility.
The startup also reduces traffic congestion and accidents by decreasing the necessity for personal vehicle ownership.
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16. AS.CAR.I
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Milan, Italy
- Use For: Assisted Driving, Advanced Telemetry
AS.CAR.I develops autonomous driving algorithms for high-performance vehicles. It controls vehicles at the handling limit and performs prediction and perception tasks.
The startup’s technology integrates advanced telemetry, accurate positioning, and improved active safety. Advanced telemetry facilitates on-vehicle data collection and visualization, providing the driver with a detailed understanding of racing performance.
Accurate positioning amalgamates data from various on-board sensors to achieve centimeter-level vehicle positioning. Real-time monitoring of track conditions optimizes high-performance driving.
AS.CAR.I’s technology provides enhanced driver assistance in critical and emergency scenarios, thereby improving safety on both tracks and open roads.
17. STEVmotion
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Mathod, Switzerland
- Use For: Sustainable Viticulture
STEVmotion develops Vineatrac, an autonomous robot for viticulture. This robot autonomously performs various tasks such as spraying, mowing, and mechanical weeding.
It enhances the efficiency of vineyard work while prioritizing safety. Vineatrac’s design is lightweight and compact, with a low center of gravity, and is suitable for navigating difficult terrains.
It is equipped with a long-range remote control for manual operation when necessary. STEVmotion emphasizes sustainability in viticulture by automating labor-intensive mechanical tasks, thus fostering environmentally friendly practices.
18. CP6
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- Use For: Lane Keeping Assist Systems, ADAS
CP6 develops ACAT, an application designed to swiftly and efficiently validate the functionality of autonomous driving features. These features include the automated driving system (ADS), ADAS, and lane keeping assist systems (LKAS).
The startup’s focus extends to a variety of autonomous environments, encompassing automobiles, unmanned ships, and intelligent construction machinery.
Its technology provides solutions for insurance firms, investigative agencies, and everyday users. CP6 provides rapid and precise analysis of data from autonomous vehicles, thereby streamlining crash reporting and safety verification processes.
19. Autonomous Knight
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Genk, Belgium
- Use For: Commercial Autonomous Transportation
Autonomous Knight constructs LEO-1, a multispectral camera system that outperforms conventional LiDAR in terms of spatial resolution and overall performance.
The image data generated is utilized to create 3D digital models of the world for applications in geospatial mapping. The multispectral dataset contains more valuable information compared to a standard camera image or a LiDAR point cloud.
The startup’s sensor allows vehicles to achieve identification performance exceeding 200 meters under any weather conditions, both day and night. This capability also enables the monetization of imagery for high-value applications such as predictive haul road maintenance.
Autonomous Knight’s technology enhances situational awareness for vehicles, UAVs, and vessels, thereby promoting safer and more efficient autonomous operations. Moreover, Autonomous Knight was the only non-Swedish startup chosen for Volvo Group’s incubation program.
20. Tripleye
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Use For: Simultaneous Localization & Mapping
Tripleye provides essential modules that streamline the construction of autonomous vehicles. Its solutions encompass 3D perception, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), planning, classification, and control.
3D perception involves real-time comprehension of the 3D environment. SLAM creates and updates environmental maps, as well as the estimation of vehicle pose.
Path and motion planning sequences a vehicle’s motion through unobstructed spaces from the starting point to the destination. Object recognition and tracking classify objects and their real-time location within the 3D environment.
Lastly, motion control involves the derivation of control parameters to execute the motion. Tripleye’s solutions thus have applications in a variety of industries, including mining, defense, and automotive.
21. Turing Motors
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Kashiwa, Japan
- Use For: Automated Driving Kits
Turing Motors manufactures self-driving EVs and autonomous solutions. It deploys large-scale language models (LLMs)-based AI for advanced judgments.
It operates autonomously using sensors and high-precision 3D data of the surrounding area. The startup provides automated driving kits for existing vehicles and automated driving software.
This helps the automobile and transport industry to switch to a smarter experience at a reduced cost. Turing Motors offers AI-based autonomous driving solutions for improving the driving experience and road safety.
22. Robeff Technology
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Istanbul, Turkiye
- Use For: Last Mile Delivery, Driver Assistance System
Robeff Technology develops autonomous robotic vehicles for food and retail deliveries. It uses an embedded advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) and driverless vehicle system to perform indoor and outdoor last-mile deliveries efficiently and securely.
The startup’s product line includes RBF-ESC200, an electronic speed controller, and RBF-DBW40, a single-phase bidirectional steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire control unit.
Robeff Technology’s torque sensor interface offers better efficiency and faster response times for safe autonomous control. This reduces the cost of in-house delivery operations for various industries, including food and retail.
23. dRISK
- Founding Year: 2019
- Location: London, UK
- Use For: Risk Assessment Solution
dRISK offers its AI Canvas, a tool for human-AI interaction designed to enhance predictions, uncover unknowns, and maximize the value of data.
Moreover, the startup’s Knowledge Graph is a scenario database and risk assessment solution. It assists AV developers, fleet operators, and infrastructure planners by accessing a vast database of edge case scenarios, comprehensive annotations, metrics, and AI-assisted data processing.
This platform ensures test coverage over the risk landscape and analyzes scenarios using industry-standard and additional metrics, providing a deeper understanding of safety performance.
24. Vanilla Robotics
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Prague, Czech Republic
- Use For: Autonomous Robotics Platform
Vanilla Robotics develops an autonomous robotics platform. It offers an iPad app for robot control and a web application for robot fleet management.
It leverages its occupancy map to help robots detect and avoid obstacles in the path and allow industries to deliver payloads or parcels.
The startup’s vision-based point cloud autonomous navigation, in mapped areas, reduces the need for sensors and improves navigational accuracy inside industrial spaces.
Vanilla Robotics also offers autonomous robot navigation on city pavements and closed areas through open source as well as customized development.
25. driveblocks
- Founding Year: 2022
- Location: Garching, Germany
- Use For: Driveable Space & Object Detection
- Funding: Completed a seed round of EUR 2.2 million in September 2023
driveblocks develops and integrates modules into the software stack and hardware components of vehicles to achieve safety and performance targets.
It utilizes decision-making algorithms to analyze and predict the movement of vehicles to provide safe and continuous operation in mixed-traffic environments.
The startup also offers a ready-to-deploy module for generating models which enables object and drivable space detection for motion planning and control. driveblocks’ software modules facilitate autonomous driving and automation solutions in the commercial vehicle sector.
26. Mozee
- Founding Year: 2021
- Location: Dallas, Texas, US
- Use For: Smart Traffic Management
Mozee streamlines autonomous vehicle fleet and infrastructure to simplify mass mobility and public transport. It uses stereo cameras, LiDAR sensors, and spatial data with sensor placement to provide a 360-degree view.
This allows vehicles to detect and perceive objects in all directions and also provides an overlapping field of coverage. Mozee’s solution enables self-driving in electric cars while ensuring temperature control and increased visibility to adapt to changing traffic patterns.
27. Vehiqilla
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Windsor, Canada
- Use For: Fleet Cybersecurity Monitoring, V2X
Vehiqilla aids fleet incident management and cyber governance for autonomous vehicle fleets. It offers in-vehicle secure architecture (IVSA) to OEMs and suppliers to ensure secure and effective vehicle functionality.
The startup enables connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to communicate with multiple objects through vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies.
This include real-time vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) monitoring. Vehiqilla helps fleet managers track vehicle cybersecurity and send alerts about threats, vulnerabilities, or breaches using ECU data.
28. Segments.ai
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: leuven, Belgium
- Use For: Image Segementation
Segments.ai uses 2D and 3D data labeling to create better datasets for autonomous vehicles. The startup offers image segmentation using its Superpixel and Autosegment technologies to label objects accurately for monitoring vehicle autonomy.
Additionally, it offers a 3D point cloud labeling tool with labeling interfaces that facilitate real-time decision-making for changing traffic environments. Segments.ai provides precise data labeling for the automotive sector to enhance autonomous vehicle safety.
29. GetUgo
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Jurmala, Latvia
- Use For: Remote Fleet Management, Delivery Robots
GetUgo manufactures teleoperations hardware and software solutions to enable remote control of vehicles. It uses cryptographically secure end-to-end communication to deliver teleoperation services with low latency even on existing 4G networks.
The startup offers safe public operations in autonomous cars and shuttle buses. It also promotes driverless operations in the logistics and mobility industries in the form of delivery robots. GetUgo enables remote management of small and large distributed fleets to alleviate driver shortages.
30. MultiplEYE
- Founding Year: 2020
- Location: Seoul, South Korea
- Use For: Deep Learning-based Vision, Ultra-wide Field of View
MultiplEYE provides a software package for sensing the surroundings of mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. The startup’s robot sensors for real-time depth sensing and localization recognize surrounding obstacles and the robot’s self-position for autonomous operations.
It deploys a robot operating system (ROS)-integrated ultra-wide field of view (FOV) lenses and a deep neural network.
These calculate depth estimation of the environment and recognize drivable spaces. MultiplEYE uses environmental sensing technologies to improve indoor and outdoor mobility for the automobile, retail, and delivery industries.
Discover All Emerging Autonomous Vehicle Startups
The 790+ autonomous vehicle startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Report for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2025!
