Autonomous trucking was already big in North Texas. Well, today it got bigger. Palo Alto-based Gatik announced that it has expanded its customer deployments in Texas and opened a new autonomous trucking facility at the “MIZ”—the Mobility Innovation Zone in Fort Worth’s AllianceTexas. Gatik also revealed it has raised $85 million in Series B funding led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT).
The $85 million funding will be used to scale Gatik’s fleet of Class 3-6 autonomous box trucks across new North American markets.
Gatik focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 companies like Walmart. But it’s in Texas for the long haul—it anticipates it will create over 500 new jobs here by 2025, including operational, technical, and business positions.
Photo: Ralph Lauer/Gatik
20 hours a day, seven days a week
Gatik operates its medium duty trucks more than 20 hours a day, seven days a week, in the high-density Texas market. This enables the company to increase its vehicle usage, maximizing profits and supply chain efficiency for multiple customers.
The company’s partnership with the MIZ supports its expansion in Texas—the fourth North American market where Gatik has deployed its autonomous fleet for retail customers. (It previously rolled out successful operations for Walmart in Arkansas and Louisiana, and for Loblaw Companies Limited in Ontario, Canada.)
Photo: Gatik
A “middle mile solution” made for Texas
“Dallas-Fort Worth is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading logistics centers in terms of innovation, sophisticated infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce,” said Gautam Narang, Gatik’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “Combined with a dense customer base, a progressive and well-structured regulatory environment, and an ideal climate; bringing the advantages of our middle mile solution to customers in the Texas ecosystem was a very natural next step for us.”
Narang believes it’s just the right time for his company’s moves.
“Gatik’s expansion into Texas comes at a time when demand for autonomous middle mile delivery has surpassed even the most confident predictions,” he said. “Rising costs, unreliable service levels, and an increasingly pronounced driver shortage within traditional logistics networks have spurred overwhelming demand for Gatik’s autonomous technology.”
Governor Abbott: “unlimited economic opportunity”
“Texas continues to thrive as a place of unlimited economic opportunity and we are proud to welcome a cutting-edge company like Gatik to Fort Worth,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott added in the statement. “This facility will bring hundreds of jobs to the region and will further establish the Lone Star State as a leader in innovation. Gatik’s investment is a testament to Texas’ strong economic climate, robust infrastructure, and our unrivaled workforce.”
Gatik recognized on the Forbes AI 50 list
Founded in 2017 by autonomous tech veterans, Gatik has offices in Palo Alto and Toronto. The company was recognized on the 2021 Forbes AI 50 list, and named as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.
Accelerating mobility tech in the MIZ
Ross Perot, Jr., chairman of Hillwood, which owns AllianceTexas, welcomed the expansion as yet another spark for growth at the MIZ, which is also the home of a trucking hub for autonomous trucking startup TuSimple.
“Gatik is the perfect partner for Hillwood in our efforts to accelerate emerging mobility technologies within the MIZ,” Perot, Jr., said in the statement. “As Gatik leads the way in autonomous middle mile delivery, their commitment to the MIZ will continue to position AllianceTexas as a global focal point in the commercialization of budding logistics solutions.”
Hillwood’s AllianceTexas development is anchored by the world’s first dedicated industrial airport—Fort Worth Alliance Airport—and hosts one of the America’s premier intermodal hubs. It’s home to more than 525 companies, which have built more than 50 million square feet and created over 62,000 jobs.
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