Ghost Autonomy, a startup that focused on developing autonomous driving software for automaker partners, has ceased operations. The company, which had raised approximately $220 million in funding, announced April 3 on its website that it has shut down its worldwide operations. With offices in Mountain View, Calif.; Dallas; and Sydney; Ghost Autonomy employed about 100 people.
“We are proud of the substantial technical innovations and progress the Ghost team made on its mission to deliver software-defined consumer autonomy,” the note on its website read. “The path to long-term profitability was uncertain given the current funding climate and long-term investment required for autonomy development and commercialization. We are exploring potential long-term destinations for our team’s innovations.”
The startup's shutdown occurred just five months after it partnered with OpenAI through the OpenAI Startup Fund, gaining early access to OpenAI systems and Azure resources from Microsoft. Ghost Autonomy had also received a $5 million investment from OpenAI. In 2023, the company closed a down round of funding worth $55 million, which included investments from early backers Keith Rabois at Founders Fund and Mike Speiser at Sutter Hill Ventures.
Ghost Autonomy, originally known as Ghost Locomotion, was founded in 2017. It made its public debut in 2019 with a total investment of $63.7 million. The company aimed to develop a kit that would enable privately owned passenger vehicles to autonomously drive on highways, with plans to deliver the technology in 2020. Throughout its existence, Ghost Autonomy underwent shifts in its approach, a common occurrence among startups in the autonomous vehicle technology space.
