Uber Freight founder and CEO Lior Ron is leaving to become COO at self-driving truck startup Waabi, per Bloomberg. Ron led Uber Freight to a $5.1 billion business and will now work on launching fully driverless trucks in Texas this year. Tesla veteran Rebecca Tinucci will replace Ron at Uber Freight, reports Benzinga.

Waabi, founded in 2021, has raised $287.7 million, with a $200 million Series B led by investors like Uber and Khosla Ventures. The company’s “AI-first” approach allows it to develop and validate self-driving systems efficiently. Waabi’s closed-loop simulator, Waabi World, trains and tests its self-driving software without physical risk, TechCrunch notes.

Ron and Urtasun, Waabi’s founder and CEO, have a shared history in the sector. Ron co-founded Otto, acquired by Uber in 2016, and Urtasun served as Uber’s chief scientist for self-driving research. Ron’s move to Waabi reflects the growing potential in autonomy technology, with the aim of leading the transformation in the industry, TechCrunch reports.

Waabi declared its system “feature complete” earlier this year, focusing on performance improvements and validation before its driverless launch. The company aims to operate in Texas, a hub for autonomous freight testing, collaborating with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to build custom autonomous trucks. Ron anticipates strong demand from freight operators eager for self-driving trucks, aiming to provide a commercial-ready solution quickly.

With Aurora’s lead in public market funding and commercial routes, Waabi’s leaner, AI-driven approach aims to compete and scale faster in the autonomous freight industry. The company’s leadership is betting on this strategy to lead the race for autonomous freight in the U.S., as reported by TechCrunch.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: ‘Most Positioned To Lead The Transformation’