Automotive Startups funded by Y Combinator (YC) 2024

Embark Technology develops self-driving truck software. Embark was the first self-driving truck company to achieve an autonomous coast-to-coast drive, the first to reach 100,000 miles driven on public roads, and the first to open a network of transfer points. Embark went public on NASDAQ in 2021 and was acquired by Applied Intuition in 2023.

Cruise is building the world’s most advanced, all-electric, self-driving car technology to safely connect people with the places, things, and experiences they care about. Self-driving cars will help save lives, reimagine cities, redefine time in transit, and restore freedom of movement for individuals who live in dense urban settings. Acquired by GM in 2016.

It is cumbersome to maintain/repair vehicles in Africa. Vehicle owners currently have 2 options to choose from; very expensive and geographically limited branded mechanic garages (less than 1% of the supply pool) or unvetted roadside mechanics (about 99% of the supply pool). About 95% of vehicle owners cannot afford branded garages where quality and reliable service delivery can be guaranteed and thus rely on roadside mechanics. However, low quality and transparency are typical issues associated with roadside mechanics. We created a network of vetted mechanics, spare part vendors and an app that enables easy booking, payment and mechanic matching process. Via the mecho app, a customer or business can make a request for any automobile service (repairs or regular servicing) or part.

Zendar develops high-definition radar for autonomous vehicles.

May Mobility is a leader in autonomous vehicle technology development and deployment. With more than 300,000 autonomous rides to date, May Mobility is committed to delivering safe, efficient and sustainable shuttle solutions designed to complement today’s public transportation options. The company’s ultimate goal is to realize a world where self-driving systems make transportation more accessible and reliable, the roads safer, and encourage better land use in order to foster more green, vibrant, and livable spaces.

Blink provides same-day delivery to e-commerce companies, helping them acquiring and retaining more customers thanks to a great delivery experience. Merchants sell on their website and Blink picks-up orders directly from physical stores or from dark stores (small urban warehouses) deployed in cities. Crowdsourced riders and transportation companies complete the delivery following routes optimized in teal time. Consumers can track and personalize their delivery.

Mars Auto is building autonomous trucks to completely automate warehouse-to-warehouse truck operations.

SixWheel makes diesel trucks hybrid-electric in 3 minutes at zero upfront cost while delivering $25k more profit per truck annually.

Olympian Motors is an electric vehicle company, based in New York. We are manufacturing electric vehicles with our innovative 'modular' vehicle & drivetrain architecture (MVDS), providing Olympian with strong cost and lead-time advantages compared to legacy automakers like Tesla and Ford. Olympian is disrupting 120+ years old automotive industry and targeting to capture 7% market share in the U.S. automotive market by 2030. We changed the status-quo in automotive design, and bring aesthetic, color, experience and minimalism back to the cars. Olympian MVDS has a 'Lego-like' architecture and built on 4-core-hardware and 2-software modules. We achieved 80% reduction in tooling & machinery costs and built ~60% faster production lead time. We aim to reinvent the car manufacturing and bringing agility, speed and cost-efficiency back to the U.S. automotive industry. + Received 214 pre-orders for Olympian Model O1 ($17M+ pre-booked revenue) + Started manufacturing our EVs in Brooklyn & Detroit facilities. 2023 capacity: 320 vehicles + Pending traffic approval from NHTSA + Modular vehicle/drivetrain + Modular manufacturing: 4-hardware + 1-sofware modules. ~60% faster production lead time. 80% reduction in tooling, fitment and labor expenses. + Commercial Launch in Q3/2023. Unlike other EV companies, we don't waste time/resources. (It took 9+ years for Lucid and 11+ years for Rivian to make their first shipment). + Super-competitive battery efficiency in urban areas (Olympian early prototypes achieved slightly better miles/kwh efficiency than Tesla Model 3 and Rivian). + Carbon-sequestered and recyclable materials for +4% of vehicle components. Olympian rejects today's commoditized and banal car experience. + We challenge the status-quo in automotive. + We prioritize aesthetic, nature and minimalism. + We use steel and wood in Olympian cars rather than not cheap plastic and toxic chemicals. + We have minimalistic cockpit, powered by Olympian Operating System (OOS)

Faction Technology, Inc. is a leader in developing right-sized driverless vehicle fleets. As pioneers in supervised autonomous mobility, Faction is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that redefine the future of transportation. With a commitment to sustainability, safety, and technological excellence, Faction is driving the evolution of autonomous mobility for a smarter, more connected world. Learn more at www.faction.us.

Curo enables electric vehicle fleets to lease EV chargers. We do this by providing a standardized process so that any EV charger owner can host a fleet, such as an office building overnight when their employees go home. Owners of EV chargers get <15% usage after paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to install, and fleets are rapidly trying to electrify yet charging is a huge bottleneck. Curo increases revenue 5x for charger owners and enables fleets to electrify instantly, at a fraction of the cost. We're live across 5 states, having grown 50% MoM for the past 6 months. Curo is already backed by investors like Blue Bear, Not Boring, Slow and Eniac.

Palifer decreases unplanned failures and increase schedule compliance by extracting insights from your historical logs. https://patents.google.com/patent/US11256757B1/en

We are building self-driving shuttles for transportation within campuses like universities, resorts, airports, and retirement communities. Website: www.auro.ai

At Phiar, we are building the first AI-powered AR navigation driving software solution that runs on a smartphone and in-vehicle displays, utilizing our ultra-lightweight road understanding AI that runs completely at-the-edge, in real-time, all on just a smartphone-level compute. Our mission is to enhance driving safety, facilitate more intuitive wayfinding, and connect drivers with their surrounding environments.