Trucks VC sees second autonomous vehicle wave driven by AI

Trucks VC has received pitches from 81 new autonomous vehicle startups in 2026, a number two-thirds higher than the previous year. The firm argues this period represents a second, larger wave fueled by artificial intelligence. Puneeth Meruva states that foundation models provide the technical architecture necessary for end-to-end autonomous systems. Open source models from Nvidia and Qwen are aiding startups in deployment. Trucks VC observes that companies are now deploying technology within months with less than $1 million raised.

A growing number of these startups position themselves as direct competitors to Waymo in the robotaxi sector. Meruva believes smaller autonomy companies can compete in specific regions or route types rather than globally. He expects more AV startups to pitch the firm next year. This activity occurs alongside broader industry developments, including a $17 billion acquisition of Instacart by DoorDash and a $220 million settlement by GM regarding data sales.