Lior Ron joins Waabi for driverless trucks expansion

Waabi has announced that Lior Ron will join the company as Chief Operating Officer.

This appointment is regarded as a significant step as Waabi moves towards scaling its operations and preparing to launch fully driverless trucks later in the year.

Lior Ron brings extensive experience in technology and logistics, having served as Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Uber Freight for the past decade. In that role, Ron led the company from its foundation to a logistics platform with annual revenue exceeding USD $5 billion, providing services to one in three Fortune 500 shippers. His background in the construction of a large-scale, multi-modal freight network is viewed as complementary to Waabi's approach to autonomous trucking.

Ron's appointment is expected to support Waabi's commercial objectives as it transitions from technology development to market adoption in the trucking sector. In his new role, Ron will focus on shaping the company's commercial strategy and expanding strategic partnerships, drawing on his operational experience and industry knowledge.

"After years of focused development, it is clear that the moment of autonomous trucks has decisively arrived and that this technology, which will drive profound societal change, is ready for commercial prime time. With an unparalleled development advantage and a product that is scalable, cost efficient and safe, Waabi is uniquely positioned to lead in this next era," said Lior Ron. "I'm thrilled to join Waabi's world-class team at this pivotal moment to help drive the future of autonomous logistics and deliver its immense value to the world."

Waabi's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Raquel Urtasun, commented on Ron's hire, emphasising his combined experience in technical and operational leadership.

"Waabi is entering a pivotal new phase as we transition from pioneering our technology to driving commercial adoption in the trucking industry. Lior brings that rare combination of technical expertise, deep industry knowledge, and proven execution - he truly understands the nuances, challenges, and opportunities within trucking, and how breakthrough technology can unlock the industry's full potential," said Raquel Urtasun. "As a leader who has scaled an end-to-end logistics platform from founding to billions of dollars of annual revenue, he will be an invaluable addition to our executive team, enabling us to accelerate our commercialization at scale and bring our autonomous solutions to market in a way that creates real value for our customers and partners."

Waabi has recently achieved several milestones, including a strategic partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions for the joint development and deployment of autonomous trucks. The company has also announced technical advancements, such as achieving a simulation realism score of 99.7% for Waabi World, its neural simulator, and the introduction of Mixed Reality Testing, an alternative to closed-course testing. These achievements are described as enabling quicker and more capital-efficient development, supporting feature-complete autonomous driving capabilities.

Commercially, Waabi has expanded its presence in the logistics sector through a partnership with Uber Freight, launched in 2023. The two companies have been running regular commercial loads between Dallas and Houston, committing to ongoing expansion and operational integration to demonstrate the practicality and impact of autonomous trucking for shippers and carriers.

The company is supported by a range of investors from the technology, automotive, and logistics sectors, and continues to focus on advancing the adoption of its autonomous trucking technology.