Pony AI, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, has inaugurated a research and development (R&D) center in Luxembourg aimed at advancing autonomous driving technologies and tailoring solutions for the European market. The company made the announcement today.
The new R&D facility will serve as a hub for promoting autonomous driving technologies and products across Luxembourg and Europe. Pony AI plans to engage in collaborative efforts with local entities to support the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles. This initiative follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on autonomous driving with the Luxembourg government earlier this year in March.
Furthering its partnerships, Pony AI recently signed an MoU with Luxembourg-based mobility provider Emile Weber on October 23. This collaboration aims to enhance the development and deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies in the region. Emile Weber, with over 150 years of operational history, specializes in public and personal transportation services, including cab operations and vehicle rentals.
Pony AI emphasized the importance of autonomous driving in shaping Luxembourg’s future transportation ecosystem. “The partnership is an important part of Pony AI’s globalization strategy, which will bring autonomous driving technology capabilities, engineering experience, and product systems to more markets by joining hands with industry partners,” stated Peng Jun, co-founder and CEO of Pony AI.
Currently, Pony AI operates R&D centers in China, the United States, and Europe, and is increasing its international footprint as Level 4 autonomous driving technologies, along with robotaxi and robotruck business models, continue to evolve. Besides Luxembourg, the startup has active operations in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, Pony AI filed an initial public offering (IPO) prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol PONY. The company, backed by Toyota and Nio Capital, has raised over $1.3 billion in seven funding rounds leading up to its anticipated IPO.
