Aurora, a US-based self-driving technology developer backed by multiple corporate investors, has agreed a reverse merger with special purpose acquisition company Reinvent Technology Partners Y.
The combined company will have a $13bn pro forma implied market capitalisation and will take on Reinvent’s listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which was secured through an $850m initial public offering in March this year. It is sponsored by investment firm Reinvent Capital.
The transaction includes a $1bn private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing featuring truck manufacturer Paccar, ride hailing service provider Uber and commercial vehicle producer Volvo Group.
The PIPE includes Reinvent Capital, Baillie Gifford, XN, Primecap Management Company, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital as well as funds and accounts managed by Morgan Stanley’s Counterpoint Global unit and funds and accounts advised by T Rowe Price.
Formed in 2017, Aurora is working on an autonomous driving system initially aimed at the trucking market. It expects to launch its first product by 2023 and expand the application of its technology to the last-mile delivery and ride hailing sectors.
In December 2020, the company agreed to buy Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group subsidiary in a deal that included a $400m capital injection from Uber. Chris Urmson, chief executive of Aurora, told CBS that Uber would receive a 26% stake in Aurora through that deal.
Aurora had previously raised $690m of overall funding, including a $600m series B round in June 2019 that featured car manufacturer Hyundai and its Kia Motors subsidiary, e-commerce group Amazon and oil and gas provider Shell’s corporate venturing arm, Shell Ventures.
The company’s other existing investors include Reinvent Capital, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Baillie Gifford, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Geodesic Partners, Greylock Partners, T. Rowe Price and Index Ventures.
Carmaker Toyota, automotive components manufacturer Denso and internet and telecommunications group Vision Fund had combined to invest $1bn in ATG at a $7.25bn valuation, when it was spun off by Uber in April 2019.