Commentary

Toyota Investing $100 Million On Self-Driving, Robotic Startups

There’s plenty of debate about when self-driving cars will be ready for prime time, but that doesn’t stop the money from heading that way.

Now Toyota is committing $100 million for early-stage startups to develop technologies related to autonomous mobility and robotics markets.

Toyota Research Institute set up Toyota AI Ventures in 2017, and that’s where the new funding is residing.

Since its founding, Toyota AI Ventures has invested in 19 startups and now has more than $200 million in assets under management.

“Auto manufacturers must participate in the startup ecosystem to stay ahead of the rapid shift in the auto industry,” states Jim Adler, managing director of Toyota AI Ventures. “Investing in startups creates long-term relationships that help Toyota explore the latest innovations in mobility.”

Several companies have recently started to sound less optimistic about self-driving technology hitting the roads in mass numbers any time soon.

However, that doesn’t mean the money to plow ahead isn’t flowing.

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1 comment about "Toyota Investing $100 Million On Self-Driving, Robotic Startups".
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  1. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , May 2, 2019 at 10:18 p.m.

    How can i get a set of those Stage lights for the top of my car??
    AND...........................HOW MUCH DOES ADD TO THE COST OF THE CAR??
    CRICKETS.

    ".......has more than $200 million in assets under management."
    Has One of those Assets produced One dollar in any kind of profit?

    And it never will............................Dead Before Arrival.

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About the Author

Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.