MUFG Bank, Ltd. has entered a strategic partnership with U.S.-based May Mobility, Inc., marking a significant move to scale up autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment globally. The collaboration combines MUFG’s financial infrastructure with May Mobility’s proprietary technology to accelerate the rollout of self-driving vehicle services across Japan and the United States.
The partnership includes a direct investment in May Mobility by MUFG Bank, with the goal of supporting the company’s expansion to a fleet of thousands of autonomous vehicles over the coming years. The bank said it would offer its financial expertise and global network to support May Mobility’s commercial goals and encourage the development of an AV-centered industrial ecosystem.
“Through this collaboration, we aim to contribute to solving social challenges such as driver shortages and ensure accessible transportation for all generations,” MUFG Bank said in a statement.
May Mobility has already conducted successful pilot deployments in Tokyo and Nagoya. Its AV systems are designed to address long-term transportation issues, particularly in Japan, where an aging population has led to a decline in licensed drivers and a shortage of public transportation resources.
At the core of May Mobility’s operations is its Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology—an AI-powered system that enables vehicles to respond to complex traffic environments with human-like reasoning. The company says the system offers a balance of safety, cost efficiency, and scalability, making it suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios.
“The support from MUFG will allow us to bring sustainable AV services to more communities,” said Edwin Olson, CEO of May Mobility. “We’re looking forward to building a global ecosystem that improves accessibility and mobility through autonomous technology.”
The partnership also aims to promote greater public acceptance of autonomous driving, with both companies expressing interest in shaping a broader industrial cluster around AV technologies. The collaboration comes as Japan looks to address labor shortages in the transport sector and as AV adoption in the U.S. continues to evolve.