NuTonomy is set to bring its autonomous vehicle to the commercial market in two years. Yong Teck Lim / AP
NuTonomy is set to bring its autonomous vehicle to the commercial market in two years. Yong Teck Lim / AP
NuTonomy is set to bring its autonomous vehicle to the commercial market in two years. Yong Teck Lim / AP
NuTonomy is set to bring its autonomous vehicle to the commercial market in two years. Yong Teck Lim / AP

Self-driving car start-up’s first vehicle set to hit streets in 2018


  • English
  • Arabic

NuTonomy, a self-driving car start-up backed by Ford Motor chairman Bill Ford and Singapore’s government, is in discussions with potential investors for a new round of funding as it works toward a full commercial launch in 2018.

“We’ve had interest from every corner of the globe because it is really a global opportunity,” said the nuTonomy chief executive Karl Iagnemma. “The challenge is to find the right investors and make sure you’re aligned with groups who share your strategic vision.”

The new round, which is expected to close in the first half of 2017, will be “multiples” of the US$16 million nuTonomy raised in May, he said. Temasek, Singapore’s state investment company which has backed technology start-ups such as Airbnb and Didi Chuxing, is among the investors it has held discussions with in the past, he said.

Software companies and car makers are racing to build cars capable of driving without human intervention. NuTonomy, which was spun out of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, is based in Singapore and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The start-up unveiled an autonomous taxi pilot programme in Singapore in August, and has tied up with ride-hailing service Grab to expand the programme.

So far, nuTonomy has raised a total of about $20 m. Its backers include Highland Capital Partners and EDBI, the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board. Other backers are Fontinalis Partners, co-founded by Ford, Signal Ventures and Samsung Ventures. NuTonomy was founded in 2013 by Iagnemma and Emilio Frazzoli, when they were researching robotics and intelligent vehicle technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“We basically woke up one day and realised the work we’ve been doing, our entire career, is now sitting at the centre of this massive global opportunity,” said Iagnemma, also an award-winning fiction author who has written about characters struggling to solve seemingly impossible scientific questions. “It would be crazy not to try to commercialise the technology and get it deployed as quickly as we can.”

NuTonomy has partnered with major automakers including Jaguar Land Rover. The start-up is also in talks with a number of cities, including London and Dubai, interested in deploying self-driving vehicles in the future. Its plan is to expand its service through Asia and the world, he said.

“The reality is that there will be multiple winners. We are confident that we will be one of those teams,” Iagnemma said.

business@thenational.ae

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5