Rivian spinoff Also will build autonomous delivery vehicles for DoorDash
Micromobility company Also, which was created inside Rivian and spun out last year, will work with DoorDash to develop autonomous delivery vehicles, the companies announced Tuesday.
As part of the deal, DoorDash took part in Also’s $200 million Series C funding round, which was led by Greenoaks Capital. DoorDash is getting a seat on Also’s board of directors, too.
The raise brings Also’s total funding to $305 million, and puts its valuation at $1 billion. The startup got off the ground with a $105 million investment from Eclipse, which is also backing Mind Robotics — an external industrial AI company that Rivian created late last year.
Also began as a skunkworks project inside Rivian in 2022. The EV-maker initially set out to build an electric bike, and even collaborated with Jony Ive’s design firm LoveFrom, as TechCrunch first reported last year. Also’s first product is a high-end, funky-looking e-bike, but it has also shown off designs for small, pedal-assist delivery vehicles.
Amazon — which is a major investor in, and partner with Rivian — placed an order for thousands of these delivery vehicles late last year. Also has said these can carry more than 400 pounds of packages while still being small enough to fit in a bike lane.
The DoorDash deal is the first indication that Also will be developing autonomous versions of its small electric vehicles. Rivian founder RJ Scaringe and Also CEO Chris Yu told TechCrunch last year that almost any form factor was on the table — within practical limits.
Rivian and Also have said that the micromobility startup would leverage the automaker’s tech in its products, as well as its retail presence and economies of scale. It’s not clear if Also will leverage the autonomy tech that Rivian has been working on.
💡 The “Last Mile” vs. “The Yard”: Scaling Autonomous Logistics
The Rivian spinoff Also’s $200 million funding round—led by DoorDash—proves that the autonomous logistics boom is bifurcating. On one side, we have the “Last Mile”: Also’s compact, bike-lane-capable delivery vehicles designed for dense urban environments. On the other side, we have the “Middle Mile”: The massive yards, ports, and distribution centers where Rivian’s heavy-duty tech (and potential AI chips) will dominate.
As the article notes, Also is leveraging Rivian’s “tech, retail presence, and economies of scale.” This creates a naming dilemma: Do we call these small agile units “Vans” or “Bots”? Do we call the heavy industrial movers “Trucks” or “AI Agents”?
The answer lies in the technology powering them. Whether it is a compact van weaving through bike lanes or a terminal tractor moving containers, they are all Embodied AI. The domains below represent the definitive branding for these two critical layers of the logistics stack.
Rivian currently plans to use a mix of cameras, ultrasonic sensors, radar, and eventually lidar to bring autonomy to its vehicles. And late last year Rivian revealed it has developed its own custom silicon and autonomy computer in an effort to make its own vehicles increasingly capable of self-driving. Scaringe has already hinted that Mind Robotics would use this chip, so it’s possible that Also could as well.
Rivian and Also both declined to say whether the two companies would share any autonomous tech. It’s possible that DoorDash will handle this piece.
The delivery company has its own autonomy department and spent several years developing a robot vehicle called Dot that is equipped with lidar, radar, and camera sensors and can autonomously drive on roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. The brightly colored vehicle with cartoon-like eyes can travel up to 20 miles an hour and is delivering in the Metro Phoenix area.
Correction: Also has raised $305 million to date and it’s valuation is $1 billion, not $505 million and over $1 billion as the article previously stated.
Recommended related domains:
1.AIBotvan.com
- The “Also” Connection: The article highlights that Also started as a “skunkworks project” inside Rivian to build an “electric bike” and “pedal-assist delivery vehicles.” These are not traditional box trucks; they are agile, compact, and designed for pedestrian-friendly environments (bike lanes, sidewalks).
- Why this domain?
AIBotvan.comis the perfect linguistic fit for this new category of “Micro-Delivery.” The term “Van” implies a small, enclosed space perfect for packages, while “AI Bot” suggests the autonomous, roving agent nature of the vehicle. As Amazon and DoorDash deploy thousands of these units (capable of carrying 400+ pounds), they are essentially launching fleets of “AI Bots” on wheels. This domain captures the essence of the “urban logistics robot” that is too big to be a sidewalk bot, but too small to be a semi-truck.
- The “Rivian” Imperative: While Also handles the “last mile,” the article hints at Rivian’s deeper ambitions: “custom silicon,” “autonomy computer,” and “Mind Robotics.” These technologies are not just for small bikes; they are for heavy-duty industrial applications—ports, yards, and distribution centers.
- Why this domain?
AIBotruck.comrepresents the “Middle Mile” infrastructure of the future. It is the definitive name for the autonomous terminal tractors and yard trucks that will move containers and trailers 24/7. In the context of the article, where Rivian is developing its own “AI chip” for autonomy, this domain signifies the shift from human-driven heavy trucks to “AI-Powered” autonomous fleets. It is the ultimate asset for the industrial side of the Rivian ecosystem, where “Truck” denotes power and payload, and “AI Bot” denotes the autonomous brain.
AIBotvan navigating city streets, and it ends with the powerful AIBotruck managing the massive flow of goods in ports and yards.With Rivian and Also leveraging shared technology (and potentially the same “AI Bot” architecture), these domains represent the full spectrum of the physical internet. Owning
AIBotvan.com and AIBotruck.com is akin to owning the digital blueprints for the next generation of how goods move—from the factory gate to your front door.Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/31/rivian-spinoff-also-will-build-autonomous-delivery-vehicles-for-doordash/
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