Glydways, a San Francisco-based startup, has secured $170 million to develop personal autonomous pods. These pods will operate on dedicated 2-meter-wide lanes in cities, promising to move up to 10,000 people per hour and reduce infrastructure costs by 90% compared to rail.
The startup is set to launch pilot projects this year in Atlanta, New York City, and the United Arab Emirates. Founder Sam Altman sees potential for these pods to replace most cars within 25 years, citing Glydways over robotaxis as a better urban transport solution.
With influential backers like Khosla Ventures and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Glydways is aiming for large-scale operations in 2027. However, the technology’s success remains to be seen. Will cities embrace this novel concept or stick with traditional vehicles?
The funding round was co-led by Suzuki Motor Corporation, ACS Group, and Khosla Ventures, with existing investors Mitsui Chemicals and Gates Frontier, as well as new investor Obayashi Corporation, also participating.
