Hannah Foster
If you happened to be wandering the streets of San Francisco the week before last, you might have spotted a slightly unusual looking Toyota Highlander on the streets.
Zoox, the $3 billion autonomous vehicle startup co-founded by a Melbourne designer and backed by some heavyweight Australian investors, had some of its ‘test mules’ transporting VIPs from a high-profile climate summit to their hotel. Tim Kentley-Klay, and Jesse Levinson, of Zoox. Photo: Shaughn and John The initiative offered some prominent exposure for Zoox in the world’s epicentre of innovation. Only a few months ago, the secretive company was still in stealth mode and unknown to all but a few Silicon Valley insiders.
Zoox shot to prominence in Australia and beyond last month when local tech mogul Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian tipped $100 million of his own money into the company and joined its board.
Sydney based Blackbird Ventures, and giant Melbourne superannuation fund Hostplus are also investors.
But shortly after the most recent funding round closed, Australian co-founder Tim Kentley-Klay was abruptly removed from the chief executive position. The ousting surprised just about anyone who has tracked Zoox’ progress, and sent a shockwave through Australia’s close-knit start-up community. Mike Cannon-Brookes has invested $100 million in Zoox. Photo: Shaughn and John The circumstances surrounding Kentley-Klay’s departure have been murky at best. One month later, they are finally starting to become clearer.
The same week Zoox took the wraps of the ‘VH4’ in San Francisco, board member Laurie Yoler was in Sydney to present at a conference for entrepreneurs hosted by Blackbird – one of the company’s earliest investors.
Yoler also met with some of Zoox’s other Australian backers, and some prospective new investors from these shores. At the event, and in those meetings, she shed a little bit more light on the situation.
Zoox, has already raised a […]
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