Barge on Wheels: Former Apple and Uber Engineer Secures $51 Million for Autonomous Trucks
Humble Robotics is scheduled to commence commercial transportation in Q3 2027
Humble Robotics has raised $51 million in a funding round led by Obvious Ventures. The round also saw participation from existing investors Eclipse and Energy Impact Partners, bringing the startup’s total funding to $75 million. The company’s valuation was not disclosed.
Founder and CEO Eyal Cohen previously worked on Apple’s discontinued autonomous vehicle project, Uber’s autonomous driving division, and the startup Waabi. Last year, he founded Humble, aiming to gain an advantage by simultaneously developing both the truck and its autonomous driving system.
The company has not yet started commercial transportation. In Q1 2027, Humble plans to conduct customer pilot programs using conventional trucks to collect data. After this, routes will be modeled and tested in a virtual environment, followed by the deployment of its own vehicle, the Humble Hauler. Cohen expects commercial operations to begin in Q3 2027.
The startup is targeting regional routes of less than 250 miles between ports, warehouses, and distribution centers. Cohen believes autonomous vehicles will be able to operate during night shifts and on repetitive routes, freeing drivers for other work.
Humble is developing a cab-less electric truck designed to transport 40-foot containers. Currently, a prototype with a temporary cab is being tested at a former dynamite factory used by the University of California, Berkeley, as a research and development site. The vehicle is currently moving under human control.
Humble holds a California permit for testing with a safety driver. Additional regulatory procedures will be required in the state for driverless testing and commercial transportation. In the future, Cohen plans to create a family of autonomous vehicles for different types of cargo and routes.
