Off-Road Tech Merges: Pronto. ai Gains SafeAI's Expertise

Pronto. ai, a San Francisco-based startup, has made a strategic move by acquiring SafeAI, a competitor in the off-road autonomous vehicle sector. This acquisition is not just about gaining technology but also about bringing in top talent and intellectual property. The deal, valued in the millions, will see most of SafeAI's 12-person engineering team joining Pronto. ai. The acquisition makes sense for Pronto. ai, which has been growing rapidly and needed more resources to keep up. Pronto. ai's CEO, Anthony Levandowski, sees this as a way to strengthen their position in the market. Pronto. ai and SafeAI have different approaches, but combining their strengths will allow Pronto. ai to serve a wider range of customers, from small quarries to large mines. Pronto. ai uses advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to operate haul trucks autonomously. They also use Pollen Mobile, a peer-to-peer open-source mobile data network, to exchange data quickly and securely, even in areas with poor connectivity. This technology is already being used in real-world applications, such as at Heidelberg Materials North America's Bridgeport Quarry in Texas, where Komatsu haulage trucks operate autonomously.The acquisition will also allow Pronto. ai to offer a tiered technology portfolio. While Pronto. ai is known for its camera-only approach, SafeAI uses multiple sensors, including radar and lidar. Pronto. ai plans to incorporate SafeAI's multi-sensor approach and safety framework, which is ASIL D-certified, the highest safety integrity level in the industry. This move is a significant step for Pronto. ai, which was co-founded by Anthony Levandowski and Ognen Stojanovski in 2018. With a lean team of about 40 people, Pronto. ai has been making waves in the autonomous haulage system space. The acquisition of SafeAI will not only help them grow faster but also expand their reach internationally, particularly in Brazil, where they have recently announced an agreement to deploy more than 100 autonomous trucks.