Pronto.ai, an autonomous vehicle startup co-founded by Anthony Levandowski and Ognen Stojanovski in 2018, has announced its acquisition of rival SafeAI. This smart poach of talent is worth millions. It will accelerate Pronto’s vision of delivering superior technology for the autonomous haulage system market and expand its service offerings around the globe.
The acquisition follows Pronto’s own successful 2022 launch of Pollen Mobile. This peer-to-peer open-source mobile data network allows Pronto to exchange data anonymously and at high speeds, circumventing the limitations imposed by legacy carriers. The cutting-edge technology puts Pronto on a path to improve their efficiency in other environments including autonomous truck operations.
That kept Pronto’s team ultra light — about 40 strong — which helped them make nimble decisions and grow quickly. Crucially, Levandowski said, it was necessary to use the money to expand the team and bolster Pronto’s position in a hotly competitive market. He stated, “We’ve been growing a ton and needed to add more people and resources to the team, so it made sense to purchase them … have more wood behind fewer arrows so that we could grow faster.”
We foresee a great doubling down on our autonomous solutions by adding SafeAI’s safety framework. This framework has achieved ASIL D certification and enables a flexible multi-sensor approach. This framework enhances the safety and reliability of their technology. Sortimo and their parent vehicle group TRATON are particularly interested in deploying more than 100 autonomous trucks with support from TNO.
Pronto’s current technology already powers Komatsu haulage trucks, which drive autonomously at multiple job sites. Pronto’s acquisition of SafeAI will dramatically deepen its technological portfolio. This change, they say, would not only provide neighborhood access, but efficiently position the company to reach a broader range of customers.
Levandowski’s desire to hold onto SafeAI talent makes sense. He’s confident their skills will be crucial at a time when Pronto will continue to lead the charge for innovation. He remarked, “In the autonomous haulage system space, there’s really kind of two players — it’s SafeAI and us.”
Brazilian operations currently represent more than half of the growth strategy for Pronto. It is a bold move that demonstrates the company’s deep commitment to international markets. Through this merger, Pronto takes advantage of the complementary strengths of both companies. This strategy further looks to ensure that it remains a leader in the autonomous vehicle space.
