Self-driving truck startup Gatik raises $200M following PepsiCo deal

Last year, the company reached a critical technical and operational milestone that allowed it to pull the safety driver from behind the wheel on its commercial routes. Gatik now has dozens of self-driving trucks that are fully driverless and operate commercially across several markets. Importantly, they can operate in a variety of conditions and environments.

“The technology has evolved and matured a lot over the last few years, especially with the latest generation of our tech,” Narang said, noting that the company’s third-generation self-driving trucks operate around the clock on surface streets and highways, and can handle light rain and snow.

Gatik wouldn’t share precise fleet numbers or name all of its customers. But its largest public partnership is with PepsiCo, in which 41 driverless box trucks shuttle Cheetos, Doritos, and other Frito-Lay products from distribution centers to stores in Dallas, Phoenix and Northwest Arkansas.

That middle-mile niche has paid off for the Santa Clara, California-based startup. The company has locked in commercial deals worth $600 million in contracted revenue, according to Narang.

The fresh $200 million will allow Gatik to scale even faster — a goal that will require it to expand beyond its 350-person workforce. Narang said the company plans to hire engineers and operational staff as well as expand to new markets, or within existing ones.