Autonocast #333 Reilly Brennan Returns
Apr 16, 2025
Reilly Brennan, the godfather of the Autonocast and general partner at Trucks VC, discusses the transformative landscape of autonomous vehicles and robotaxis. He shares insights on the evolution of mobility investments over the past decade, highlighting challenges and major events that shaped the industry. The conversation dives into the competitive dynamics between established firms and startups, emerging AI innovations, and surprising takes on Tesla. Brennan also explores the future of autonomous transport and unique strategies from companies like Zoox.
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Career Launch With Reilly Brennan
- Alex Roy credits a conversation with Reilly Brennan at South by Southwest for launching his career in mobility technology investing.
- This interaction sparked Roy's deep exploration into vehicle data value and data companies.
Cruise Acquisition's Industry Impact
- The Cruise acquisition in 2016 was a pivotal moment that pushed automakers to invest in autonomy.
- It sparked many AV projects and shaped the industry's developmental trajectory significantly.
Current AV Startup Trends
- Although AV hype feels revived due to AI excitement, few new AV robo-taxi startups have emerged.
- Most new companies leveraging AI focus on off-road or specialized automated vehicles, not on-road ride-hailing.