TechCrunch Mobility: A new, bigger AV boom is here

A bigger self-driving boom

TechCrunch's Mobility newsletter says the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry feels hot again. Trucks VC, an investor in early-stage companies, has seen 81 new AV startups pitch it so far in 2026. That is about two-thirds more than last year and more than the boom years a decade ago. The firm says a second, bigger AV wave is here, driven by AI.

Key numbers

• 81 new AV startups pitched Trucks VC so far in 2026.
• That is about two-thirds more than the same point last year.
• Trucks says startups often deploy within a few months with less than $1 million raised.
• Re:Build raised $2.1 billion to build hard tech products and new industrial startups.
• Bedrock Robotics raised $600 million at a $4.1 billion value.

Why AI changed the game

AV companies have long wanted an end-to-end system, where one AI model handles the whole job of driving. Trucks VC says new foundation models, which are large AI models that work across many situations, make this possible. Open source models from Nvidia and Qwen make it easier for small teams to start building.

Why it matters

If AI makes self-driving cheaper and faster to launch, smaller companies could compete with big players like Waymo. They might focus on certain cities or types of routes instead of the whole world. Investors are also putting large sums into related robotics and manufacturing companies, which shows how much money is moving into this area.

What to watch

• Whether more AV startups pitch investors next year, as Trucks VC expects.
• Whether smaller robotaxi companies can win in specific regions or routes.
• How the DoorDash and Instacart deal moves forward.
• Whether AI agents start sending more orders to DoorDash, which has only received a few hundred so far.