Glydways, a San Francisco-based startup focused on developing personal autonomous pods for dedicated city lanes, has secured $170 million in Series C funding. The round was co-led by Suzuki Motor Corporation, ACS Group, and Khosla Ventures, with participation from existing investors Mitsui Chemicals and Gates Frontier, along with new investor Obayashi Corporation.
The startup is reportedly in talks to raise another $250 million, potentially increasing its valuation to over $1 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Glydways is advancing its concept, claiming its system can transport up to 10,000 people per hour per lane while reducing infrastructure costs by up to 90% compared to rail. Founded in 2016, Glydways plans to initiate three pilot operations this year in Atlanta, New York City, and the United Arab Emirates, aiming for large-scale operations by 2027.
The company’s innovative concept has attracted notable supporters, including OpenAI founder Sam Altman, an investor in Glydways’ Series B. Board member Vinod Khosla regards Glydways as a superior urban transport solution compared to robotaxis, predicting it could replace most cars in cities within 25 years.
“That sounds radical, but these entrepreneurs want to make that happen, and I’m pretty certain it will happen, and it’s not robotaxis; it’s not Waymo. It’s a much better solution.”