Title:
"Anthony Levandowski's Off-Road Autonomy Startup Pronto Makes Waves in the Market: A Game Changer in the Autonomous Industry"
Article:
Five years ago, as robotaxis and self-driving truck startups were still raking in millions in venture capital, Anthony Levandowski turned to off-road autonomy. Now, that decision — which brought the former Google engineer and serial entrepreneur back to the roots that helped launch his pioneering and controversial career — is starting to pay off.
Pronto, the San Francisco-based startup Levandowski co-founded with Ognen Stojanovski, has developed a self-driving system designed for haulage trucks and other off-road vehicles that are used at construction and mining sites. About a dozen companies are now using its “autonomous haulage system” or AHS, according to Levandowski, who noted that not all of those deployments are driverless.
A newly announced partnership illustrates Pronto’s traction in the niche market. Pronto exclusively shared with TechCrunch that it has extended a partnership with Heidelberg Materials North America, one of the largest build materials and cement producers in the world, following a pilot program last year at the company’s Bridgeport Quarry in Texas. Under the agreement, Pronto’s technology will be integrated into Komatsu haulage trucks, which will operate autonomously at the site. This time around, the trucks will also include Komatsu’s connected vehicle technology to improve data collection and analysis.
The 30-person startup uses advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to operate haul trucks autonomously. Pronto also uses Pollen Mobile, a peer-to-peer open-source mobile data network the startup launched in 2022 that allows it to exchange data anonymously and at high speeds without relying on legacy carriers. Pollen is used to support sites with little to no connectivity.
Interest and investment in off-road autonomy has increased as startups and more established technology companies seek out the best and fastest path to commercialization. It’s what motivated Levandowski to change course in 2019.
“For Levandowski, off-road is the most compelling because it is used on private property. And while the complexities of the environment are more difficult from a driving perspective, the people working at the site can be properly trained to interact with autonomous vehicles.”
Levandowski first formed Pronto in 2018 with a different aim. The startup was initially working on advanced driver assistance features built for Class 8 trucks and passenger vehicles. Pronto pivoted to off-road autonomy in 2019 because “it became clear we couldn’t do on-road autonomy on a timeframe that we want as a business.” The move brought him back to where he started.
Levandowski had already co-founded a Berkeley, California, startup called 510 Systems that was working on a mobile mapping system. The startup experimented with using cameras and a timing system to assist drivers in steering tractors and controlling bulldozers. Levandowski then joined Google in 2007 to work on its mapping technology, which would eventually evolve into the Street View system.
Pronto has raised an undisclosed amount from investors, Levandowski said without naming his backers. He added the funding wasn’t through a traditional VC series round.
“I don’t think it’s like the next frontier,” he said of off-road autonomy. “It’s almost like the skipped-over frontier that we really should have checked off along the way to on-road autonomy.”
Analysis:
In this article, we see how Anthony Levandowski's off-road autonomy startup, Pronto, is making significant strides in the autonomous industry. By focusing on developing self-driving systems for haulage trucks and off-road vehicles used in construction and mining sites, Pronto has secured partnerships and deployments that showcase the potential of its technology.
Levandowski's decision to pivot to off-road autonomy in 2019 has proven to be a strategic move, as the market demand for such technology is increasing. With advanced sensors, cameras, and AI, Pronto is at the forefront of innovation in this niche sector.
The integration of Pronto's technology into Komatsu haulage trucks at Heidelberg Materials North America's quarry is a testament to the practical application of off-road autonomy. By leveraging private property settings and training site workers to interact with autonomous vehicles, Pronto is addressing the challenges of this unique environment.
Overall, Pronto's success in off-road autonomy signals a shift in the autonomous industry towards specialized applications. Investors and stakeholders should take note of the opportunities presented by this emerging frontier, as it represents a key step towards realizing the full potential of autonomous technology in various sectors.