Autonomous vehicles traveled a record 4.1 test million miles on California roads from December 2020 through November 2021—double the number from a year earlier, according to a report by the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. Fifty companies currently hold permits to test self-driving cars in California with a driver behind the wheel, while only seven have a permit for completely driverless testing.
Here’s what else we’re reading in the news:
- The Biden administration lays out a plan to spend $5 billion on electric vehicle infrastructure.
- YouTube is venturing into NFTs and live shopping.
- Newport Beach-based Bodymatter raises $3 million to better track and improve sleep.
- MoviePass is planning to relaunch this summer... with a cryptocurrency twist.
Autonomous Vehicle Companies Ramp Up Their Testing
There are fewer self-driving car companies testing vehicles on California roads, but those that are experimenting with the technology—including Waymo and Cruise—nearly doubled their testing miles in the last year, according to the state's DMV.
Odys Aviation Raises $12 Million to Develop Vertical-Takeoff Aircraft
The Long Beach-based startup is looking to shake up domestic air travel with its vertical-takeoff aircraft. The idea is to use urban helipads, smaller municipal airports and “vertiports” to drastically cut travel times.
Ethernity Raises $20 Million to Build a Celebrity NFT Platform
The new funding will go toward creating “a studio system or incubator for the world of NFTs,“ according to the company's CEO.
Tinder Is Bringing Back the 'Blind Date' Via New App Feature
Thought blind dates were a thing of the past? Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Tinder is looking to bring them back with a new feature—matching singles via their preferences and putting them into a chat before giving them access to each other’s profiles.
🎧 Listen Up: Fashion Tech Founder and Investor Daria Burke on Reinvention
On this episode of the Behind Her Empire podcast, Daria Burke, a leader on fashion and technology, talks about reinventing yourself and switching careers. "We often get to feel like our best selves when we get to represent ourselves the way that we want to. That's super important.”