Platform Science

8VC raises $998M in new funding with a focus on reshaping logistics

Venture capital firm 8VC has announced the launch of Fund VI, securing $998 million in new limited partner capital to fuel its ambitious investment strategy. This substantial raise comes at a pivotal time in the venture capital landscape, particularly in the supply chain and logistics sectors, which have seen significant disruption and innovation in recent years.

The venture capital market in Q4 2024 was...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/8vc-raises-998m-in-new-funding-with-a-focus-on-reshaping-logistics

Autonomous trucking technology makes a splash in Las Vegas

Autonomous trucking technology makes a splash in Las Vegas
(Photo: Thomas Wasson/FreightWaves)

LAS VEGAS – After years of hype, autonomous trucking providers have begun to deliver on the promise of driverless operations, with companies touting plans for commercial uses. The Manifest conference in Las Vegas featured a diverse group of autonomous vehicle operators, from large players in the truckload space like Torc Robotics to scrappy upstarts like Bot Auto. Autonomous yard operators including...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/autonomous-trucking-technology-makes-a-splash-in-las-vegas

Omnitracs, Platform Science IP lawsuit may have reached the end of the road

The long-running intellectual property dispute between technology providers Omnitracs and Platform Science has potentially come to an end. A California federal court issued a clear ruling on Dec. 23 denying Omnitracs’ requests for a retrial and overturned the jury’s previous decisions including a right to $19.3 million in damages. 

It remains unclear whether Omnitracs will appeal, as the judge not only canceled the $19.3 million verdict but also conditionally ruled under Federal Rule of Civil...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/omnitracs-platform-science-ip-lawsuit-may-have-reached-the-end-of-the-road

Platform Science secures $125M to grow OEM partnerships

Platform Science, a provider of connected vehicle solutions, announced on Tuesday a significant milestone in its growth journey, securing $125 million in funding aimed at bolstering its presence in the commercial trucking sector. 

Participating in this round are existing investors 8VC, NewRoad Capital Partners, and Prologis Ventures (NYSE:PLD), joined by new backers Activant Capital, Manhattan Ventures Partners and BDT & MSD Partners.

This expansion round also witnessed participation from...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/platform-science-secures-125m-to-grow-oem-partnerships

Bosch’s RevX rolls up available spot loads 

If freight brokers weren’t so preoccupied with celebrating competitor missteps, one of them might have beaten Robert Bosch to RevX — a spot load aggregation tool that also flags double brokering.

The cloud-based RevX is the second product from the German auto supplier’s global Logistics Operating System (L.OS), aimed at simplifying technology and operational processes in transportation and logistics. L.OS launched in December with a goal of generating more than $540 million in freight-related...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/boschs-revx-rolls-up-available-spot-loads

Electrolyzers only scratch the surface of midcentury hydrogen demand

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Even as manufacturing of electrolyzers grows, the hydrogen-making devices barely address the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/electrolyzers-only-scratch-the-surface-of-midcentury-hydrogen-demand

Truck electrification is much more than picking a charger

You can buy a charger for an electric vehicle from any number of suppliers. But it’s an incomplete purchase without knowing when the charger is operating, how much juice it can put out at a given time and whether or not it’s occupied.

“The last conversation I’m having is ‘Let’s pick the right hardware, how to deploy it cost effectively, and let me help you operate it so you get the SLA (service life agreement) you want,” Rich Mohr, ChargePoint Holdings Inc. senior vice president for North...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-electrification-is-much-more-than-picking-a-charger

Newsom leans toward allowing autonomous trucking in California

“And as the years go by

Our friendship will never die

You’re gonna see it’s our destiny

You’ve got a friend in me” — Randy Newman

The battle over whether to allow heavy-duty autonomous trucks on highways in California is coming to an end. It would be premature to call the outcome, but Gov. Gavin Newsom is lining up behind advanced technology over organized labor. Both are major constituent groups of the Democratic governor.

Assembly Bill 316 would effectively kill autonomous testing and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/newsom-leans-toward-allowing-autonomous-trucking-in-california

Would Navistar be a good autonomous partner for Kodiak Robotics?

“All of the ladies attending the ball are requested to gaze in the faces found on the dance cards. Please then remember and don’t get too close to one special one. He will take your defenses and run.” — Song by David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills

Navistar has remained quiet about its plans for autonomous trucking since breaking off a two-and-a-half-year partnership with TuSimple in December.

Privately held Kodiak Robotics is emerging as a leader in the shrinking field of autonomous...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/would-navistar-be-a-good-autonomous-partner-for-kodiak-robotics

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