Cruise LLC, the self-driving expertise firm that’s majority-owned by Normal Motors, mentioned it acquired autonomous-vehicle startup Voyage, which operates a service in retirement communities.
“I’m happy to welcome Oliver Cameron and Voyage to the Cruise staff,” Cruise President Kyle Vogt announced Monday on Twitter, confirming a Bloomberg News report from early this month. “Voyage is a nimble and extremely succesful firm that shares our mission to make transportation safer & extra accessible, and we’re thrilled that they’re becoming a member of us.”
The deal provides Cruise greater than 60 individuals educated in growing and working self-driving autos, the place expertise and expertise comes at a premium. Cameron, Voyage’s chief government officer, is becoming a member of Cruise as vice chairman of product.
Cruise’s acquisition of Voyage occurs at a time when autonomous-technology corporations are consolidating. Zoox Inc. sold to Amazon.com Inc. final yr. For Voyage, becoming a member of Cruise is a method for Cameron to proceed his work with assistance from the acquirer’s 1,800 workers and its deeper pockets.
The acquisition worth wasn’t disclosed.
Whereas Voyage has raised $52 million, Cruise has raised greater than $8 billion and will get about $1 billion a yr from GM.
“The self-driving business is consolidating, and the leaders of a trillion-dollar market are quick rising,” Cameron mentioned on a weblog put up on Voyage’s internet web page. “After being intimately concerned with the AV business for the final 5 years, I can say with certainty that Cruise — with its superior self-driving expertise, distinctive automaker partnerships, and all-electric purpose-built car with no human controls — is poised to be the clear chief.”
Cameron mentioned that key members of Voyage’s expertise staff can be engaged on the Cruise Origin, the corporate’s devoted self-driving shuttle.