AI foundation models

AV startup pitches hit 81 in 2026 as AI fuels a second, larger wave

Early-stage investor Trucks VC has received pitches from 81 new autonomous vehicle startups so far in 2026, roughly two-thirds more than a year earlier and above the levels of the sector's 2016-2017 boom. The firm credits AI foundation models with making end-to-end AV systems technically viable.