Uber Freight founder and CEO Lior Ron is leaving the top job to become chief operating officer at self-driving truck startup Waabi, Bloomberg reports.
Ron, who built Uber's (NYSE:UBER) freight and logistics unit into a $5.1 billion business, will lead Waabi as it works to launch fully driverless trucks in Texas before the end of this year. According to TechCrunch, Ron's move comes as autonomous freight technology nears commercial viability, and Waabi prepares to scale operations against deep-pocketed rivals like Aurora, which has already launched the first driverless trucking route in the U.S.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) veteran Rebecca Tinucci, who TechCrunch says spent six years building the automaker's charging network, will replace Ron as head of Uber Freight after Tesla cut its charging staff last year. Ron will remain chair of Uber Freight while taking on his new role at Waabi, Bloomberg reports.
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Ron and Raquel Urtasun Reunite to Drive AI-First Autonomy to Market
Waabi founder and CEO Raquel Urtasun told TechCrunch that Ron will lead go-to-market strategy, expand key partnerships, and bring Waabi from its current development stage to "commercialization at scale." She pointed to his track record of scaling Uber Freight from inception to a multibillion-dollar revenue operation as proof that he can guide Waabi through its next phase.
Ron and Urtasun share a history in the sector, TechCrunch says. Ron co-founded self-driving truck company Otto, which Uber acquired in 2016, while Urtasun served as Uber's chief scientist for self-driving research between 2017 and 2021.
Ron said his decision to join Waabi was driven by timing and the scale of opportunity in autonomy, telling TechCrunch, "If the most impactful thing to do in the next decade is autonomy, and if the timing is right, then for me it's really about joining forces with who I think is most positioned to lead the transformation."
Ron described the career shift as "like going back to the roots" in an interview with Bloomberg.
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Inside Waabi's $287.7M AI-First Platform and Virtual Test World
Founded in 2021, Waabi has raised $287.7 million, including a $200 million Series B in 2024 led by prominent investors, such as Uber and Khosla Ventures. Urtasun told TechCrunch the company's "AI-first" approach allows it to develop and validate self-driving systems with fewer resources and in less time than competitors.
Central to Waabi's development is Waabi World, a closed-loop simulator that trains and tests its self-driving software by generating real-time scenarios, including accidents and construction zones, without physical risk.
According to TechCrunch, earlier this year, Waabi declared its system "feature complete," meaning it had all the necessary capabilities to operate without a human driver and was now focusing on performance improvements and validation ahead of its driverless launch.
The company plans to begin operations in Texas, which TechCrunch says has become a hub for autonomous freight testing and deployment, but has not disclosed the specific routes or launch partners. Waabi is collaborating with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to build custom autonomous trucks for its fleet.
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Why Lior Ron Says Freight Operators ‘Could Not Wait' For Waabi's Depot-To-Door Driverless Trucks
Ron told TechCrunch that demand from freight operators is strong, noting that chief supply chain officers and major carriers he met at Uber Freight "could not wait" for self-driving trucks.
He added that Waabi's trucks will be able to drive directly to customer depots, avoiding the need for costly transfer terminals, and will deliver a "commercial-ready solution" for operators looking to integrate autonomy quickly.
With Aurora's public market funding and head start on commercial routes, TechCrunch says that Waabi's leadership is betting that its leaner, AI-driven approach will help it compete and scale faster in the race to lead autonomous freight in the U.S.
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