Avride
Autonomous vehicles and delivery robots platform
Research Engineer Intern
Must reside within commuting distance of Austin; no relocation, travel, or remote option available.
About the job
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master’s, or PhD (highly preferred) in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, or a related field with an expected graduation date between Winter 2026 and Spring 2027.
- Strong understanding of deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision, optimization, or probabilistic modeling.
- Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow). Basic familiarity or willingness to learn C++.
- Ability to read, understand, and implement algorithms from academic research papers. A strong analytical mindset for designing experiments and interpreting data.
- Highly collaborative, open to feedback, and excited to tackle unsolved problems in the autonomous driving space.
- Take ownership of a research project focused on exploring how model ensembling strategies influence the gap between open-loop (training) and closed-loop (simulation) performance. You will review relevant literature, formulate hypotheses, and prototype solutions using Python and ML frameworks (like PyTorch).
- Design ensembling strategies: Implement and evaluate multiple ensembling approaches, including blending models trained with different random seeds, combining checkpoints from different training stages, and applying weighted averaging or learned blending of model outputs.
- Run controlled experiments: Systematically compare single-model vs ensemble performance and seed diversity vs checkpoint diversity, and measure their impact on open-loop metrics (training/validation loss, accuracy) and closed-loop metrics (simulation performance, safety, stability).
- Analyze metric alignment: Investigate the correlation (or lack thereof) between open-loop and closed-loop improvements, identify cases where ensembling improves one metric but degrades the other, and formulate hypotheses explaining the observed behavior.
- Applied Research Project: Evaluate and improve the behavior of ML-driven traffic agents in the autonomous driving simulator. Design evaluation functions that select trajectories with desired properties — from realistic to adversarial — and build quantitative metrics to measure how agent behavior changes. Replace realism visually with data-driven evaluation. Work with real driving data, run experiments on large scenario pools, and produce results that influence the team's roadmap for agent simulation.
- Design and implement algorithms: Design, test, and iterate algorithms that select agent trajectories optimizing for different objectives: aggressiveness, interaction density, route fidelity.
- Build evaluation metrics: For comparing agent behavior strategies: interaction intensity (time-to-collision, proximity), kinematics plausibility (acceleration, jerk), and distributional similarity to real traffic.
- Data-Driven Experimentation: Run experiments on large-scale scenario pools, comparing ML agents against baseline approaches and measuring the impact of different strategies.
- Work with production codebase: The prediction models you'll experiment with are the same ones deployed in our autonomous vehicles. Your work is a part of a C++ simulation pipeline running large-scale scenario evaluation.
- Knowledge Sharing: Conclude your internship by presenting your methodology, experimental results, and data-driven recommendations on where trajectory ranking is sufficient and where model-level changes are required.
- PhD is highly preferred
About the company
Avride.ai builds and runs autonomous cars and delivery robots. Its vehicles use an in-house hardware stack—lidar sensors, cameras, and onboard computers—to perceive the world with a 360-degree field of view and to learn from large data sets, aiming to be safer and more efficient than human drivers. The system powers both transportation and package delivery services, serving customers worldwide through partnerships, service contracts, and technology licensing. Unlike many competitors, Avride.ai emphasizes its integrated, self-developed hardware and data-driven safety improvements to reduce accidents and improve mobility. The company’s goal is to shape the future of mobility and delivery by expanding reliable autonomous solutions across platforms and markets.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Early VC
Total Funding
$425M
Headquarters
Austin, Texas
Founded
2017
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Uber launched Avride robotaxi rides in Dallas on December 2, 2025.
- Avride passed 100,000 Uber rides by August 14, 2026.
- Chartwells and Grubhub signed campus delivery expansion agreements in July 2026.
What critics are saying
- NHTSA opened PE26003 on May 6, 2026 after 16 crashes and one injury.
- The probe targets lane changes, stalled-object collisions, and safety-operator reliance in Dallas.
- A fatal crash or recall shuts down Uber’s Dallas service and freezes campus contracts.
What makes Avride unique
- Avride runs robotaxis and delivery robots on one autonomy stack across Dallas and campuses.
- Uber and Nebius committed up to $375 million in October 2025.
- Its robots use LiDAR, cameras, and 360-degree sensing inherited from driving systems.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Unified list analysis will avoid non-listed items.
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 4%1 year growth
↑ 1%2 year growth
↑ 2%NHTSA opens safety audit into Tesla Cybercab robotaxis. Cris Tolomia Updated Fri, September 4, 2026 at 5:54 AM PDT * The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an audit of Tesla Cybercab vehicles to review the company's justification for concluding that the robotaxis meet federal vehicle safety requirements. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit covering approximately 1,000 Tesla Cybercab vehicles on Friday, scrutinizing how the company justified its conclusion that the robotaxis meet federal vehicle safety requirements, according to Reuters. NHTSA said it would review the grounds for Tesla's certification, including whether the company concluded that certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were simply not applicable to the Cybercab in the first place. NHTSA pointed out that the Cybercab is missing standard driver-operated hardware such as a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and mirrors. The probe came hours after Tesla began commercial deployment of a small number of Cybercabs in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. State records showed that as of Friday morning, Tesla had registered 420 autonomous vehicles in Texas, 45 of which were Cybercabs. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Automakers traditionally self-certify whether their vehicles comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy had said the Cybercab was designed to meet all federal safety standards from the start, allowing the company to self-certify without seeking a special exemption, according to TechCrunch. The Department of Transportation has proposed removing manual control requirements for vehicles designed to operate autonomously, though those rules remain in effect. The inquiry echoes a situation NHTSA encountered in 2022, when Amazon-owned Zoox self-certified a cube-shaped robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals, prompting the agency to open a similar audit process. That investigation slowed Zoox's path to commercialization, according to TechCrunch. Zoox spent years navigating the exemption process before receiving federal approval in July 2026 and opening a commercial ride service in Las Vegas. Whether Tesla faces a comparable timeline is unclear. Tesla put driverless Cybercabs on public streets in Austin ahead of a planned event Thursday where the company shared more details about its rollout. The two-seat vehicle was built without a steering wheel or pedals and manufactured at Tesla's Giga Texas facility. CEO Elon Musk had said material revenue from the Cybercab was unlikely before at least 2027. NHTSA has at least two other active probes examining whether Tesla's driver-assistance systems contain safety defects. The agency also recently opened an investigation into Avride, a self-driving startup operating on Uber's platform, after 16 crashes involving its autonomous vehicles in Texas.
New campus food delivery robots keep their eyes on the sidewalk- literally. By Morgan Lane, Editor-in-Chief and Edwardina Beeko, Contributing Writer A new fleet of robots developed by Avride, an autonomous vehicle development company, is rolling across campus. The AI powered food delivery bots are partnering with Grubhub to pick up where the previous Starship delivery robots left off. "Avride's partnership with Towson and Grubhub grew from its existing relationship with the food delivery platform," said Laura Lawton, Avride's head of communications. The new robots are designed for year-round outdoor operation, including rain and moderate snow. They also include something that the Starship fleet didn't have, eyes. Each Avride delivery bot has two LED "eyes" that can showcase different emotions. A small camera in between the eyes detect objects and motion for pedestrian safety. "Their water-resistant construction, suspension and low maximum speed of 5 mph help them navigate everyday sidewalk conditions safely," Lawton said. Yet, students expressed mixed feelings toward the new delivery bots. Senior Irvin Sosa-Perez said he hoped the Avride robots would improve the long wait times he experienced with the Starship vehicles. Instead, he said waiting over an hour for the autonomous robot to deliver his food made him less likely to use the service again. "There's a one and done for me," he said. For students familiar with the previous Starship robots, the change sparked curiosity. "I know that there were a lot of issues that we dealt with last year with them running into buildings," said sophomore Anayah Sparks. "I was also interested to see what the new design would be like. Sparks noticed the new robots around the Glen Complex and has not seen them have the same problems as the previous Starship robots. "I haven't seen any do the wacky things that they used to do," Sparks said. "I would like to try it out more just because it's new." The transition to Avride is part of Aramark's continued efforts to make campus dining easier and more accessible, according to Rich Coburn, Aramark's Mid-Atlantic district manager. "While students may notice a new look and new robots around campus, our focus throughout the transition has remained the same," he said in an emailed statement to The Towerlight. "We're looking forward to seeing Avride become part of the everyday campus experience."
Texas Startup today: Austin's $375M mobility surge and the rise of ai-driven cloud exits. From Avride's massive funding round to ProsperOps' strategic acquisition by Flexera, the Texas tech ecosystem is proving that automated efficiency is the new gold standard for 2026. The lone star state's mid-year momentum. It is Wednesday, August 26, 2026, and the Texas startup ecosystem is sending a clear message to the global venture community: the "Silicon Hills" and the "Silicon Prairie" are no longer just alternatives to the coast - they are the epicenters of the automation revolution. Today's landscape is defined by two major themes that every Texas founder should be watching: the consolidation of AI-driven cloud management and the massive capital infusion into autonomous mobility. As Texas Startup look at the headlines coming out of Austin and Dallas, it's evident that the era of "point solutions" is fading, replaced by integrated, intelligent platforms that solve complex infrastructure problems at scale. The exit: ProsperOps joins Flexera in a win for Austin FinOps. In a significant move for the Austin tech corridor, ProsperOps, a leader in autonomous cloud cost optimization, has been acquired by Flexera. This exit is a bellwether for the FinOps (Financial Operations) sector. As enterprises grapple with the skyrocketing costs of AI infrastructure, the demand for automated execution - rather than just passive reporting - has reached a fever pitch. Flexera CEO Jim Ryan noted that as enterprises adopt AI across their entire infrastructure, the need for intelligent, automated execution has never been greater. This sentiment was echoed by ProsperOps CEO and co-founder Chris Cochran, who highlighted a critical shift in buyer behavior: customers no longer want a fragmented toolkit of point solutions. They want unified platforms that can manage cloud spend across the board. Why this matters for Texas founders: ProsperOps' success was built on the premise of "set it and forget it" automation for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. By integrating with Flexera - which recently bolstered its portfolio with Chaos Genius to manage Snowflake and Databricks costs - the combined entity is creating a powerhouse that reduces Fortune 500 cloud costs by up to 30%. For founders in San Antonio or Houston building B2B SaaS, the lesson is clear: your roadmap should prioritize integration and automated ROI if you want to be an attractive acquisition target in 2026. The scale-up: Avride's $375M war chest and the Dallas robotaxi launch. While Austin celebrates a major exit, it is also celebrating a massive influx of capital. Avride, the Austin-based autonomous vehicle powerhouse, has secured a staggering $375 million investment from a consortium including Uber and Nebius. This isn't just a paper valuation; it's fuel for immediate deployment. Avride is preparing to launch its robotaxi service on Uber's platform in Dallas by the end of this year. Avride CEO Dmitry Polishchuk has stated the company's goal is to make autonomous transportation an integral part of everyday life. With Dallas serving as the primary testing ground for these robotaxis and delivery robots, the North Texas region is solidifying its status as the nation's premier sandbox for autonomous logistics. The synergy between Austin-based engineering and Dallas-based infrastructure deployment is a uniquely Texan advantage that few other states can replicate. The talent pipeline: North Texas innovation. Beyond the headlines of exits and funding, the foundational work continues at institutions like UT Dallas. The recent showcases from the UTDesign Computer Science program highlight a robust pipeline of talent flowing into the DFW ecosystem. Texas Startup is seeing a surge in creative and business-tech hybrids coming out of these programs, ensuring that as companies like Avride and Flexera expand their Texas footprints, the local labor market is ready to meet the demand. 5 key takeaways for Texas founders. * Consolidation is the Goal: The ProsperOps acquisition proves that "point solutions" are being swallowed by platforms. If you are building a niche tool, ensure it has the APIs and architecture to integrate into a larger ecosystem. * Automation Over Observation: Enterprise customers in 2026 don't want dashboards that tell them they have a problem; they want autonomous agents that solve the problem for them. * The Texas Triangle Advantage: Use the specific strengths of its cities. Build and engineer in Austin, but look to Dallas for logistics and infrastructure testing, and Houston for industrial and energy-tech applications. * Strategic Partnerships Lead to Funding: Avride's $375M round was anchored by Uber - a future customer and distributor. Aligning your startup with a strategic partner early can bridge the gap between Series A and massive growth rounds. * FinOps is a Permanent Pillar: As AI compute costs continue to rise, any startup that helps companies manage, reduce, or optimize their cloud and data spend (like Chaos Genius or ProsperOps) will remain recession-proof. Looking ahead. As Texas Startup move toward the final quarter of 2026, the Texas ecosystem is characterized by maturity. Texas Startup is seeing fewer "growth at all costs" experiments and more high-value, high-utility exits. Whether you are a founder in San Antonio working on cybersecurity or a Houston entrepreneur in the energy transition space, the blueprint for success this year is clear: build for automation, integrate for scale, and leverage the massive Texas market for your pilot programs. #Texas Tech Exits #Autonomous Vehicles #Cloud Computing How this looks shared on LinkedIn texasstartup.guide From Avride's massive funding round to ProsperOps' strategic acquisition by Flexera, the Texas tech ecosystem is proving that automated efficiency is the new gold standard for 2026. Sources & references. StartupTexas AI AI CMO at Texas Startup Guide. Curates and writes from 50+ trusted sources across the Texas startup ecosystem.
Texas Startup today: ai-driven M&A and the race for autonomous Dallas streets. From Austin's massive ProsperOps exit to Avride's $375M surge toward Dallas robotaxis, Texas is cementing its status as the global capital for automated infrastructure. Here is what these shifts mean for your startup's roadmap. The Lone Star State's automated future takes shape. It is Saturday, August 22, 2026, and the Texas startup ecosystem is proving that the "summer slump" is a myth. While the national venture landscape continues to grapple with high interest rates and selective deployment, the Texas triangle - Austin, Dallas, and Houston - is doubling down on the two sectors that define this decade: AI-driven infrastructure management and autonomous mobility. Today's digest looks at a massive exit in the state capital and a capital infusion in North Texas that signals a new era of how Texas Startup move goods, people, and data. The Exit: ProsperOps and the Consolidation of the Cloud. Austin's reputation as a hub for enterprise software and CloudOps was further solidified this week with the acquisition of ProsperOps by Flexera. This isn't just another exit; it's a strategic signal about the direction of the enterprise market. ProsperOps, known for its automated cloud cost optimization, has been a darling of the Austin tech scene for its ability to deliver immediate ROI. As Flexera CEO Jim Ryan noted, the integration of AI across enterprise infrastructure has created a desperate need for "intelligent, automated execution." For Texas founders, the takeaway from ProsperOps CEO Chris Cochran is even more vital: the era of the "point solution" is fading. Cochran highlighted that customers are no longer looking for a dozen different tools to manage their cloud spend, security, and performance. They want unified platforms. By joining Flexera - which recently integrated Chaos Genius to manage heavy-hitters like Snowflake and Databricks - ProsperOps is positioning itself within a powerhouse suite that has already helped Fortune 500 companies slash costs by up to 30%. The Texas Angle: This exit proves that Austin remains the premier location for building high-utility B2B SaaS. It also suggests that the next wave of successful Texas exits will likely come from startups that can integrate seamlessly into broader AI-driven ecosystems rather than those trying to stand alone as niche tools. The expansion: Avride turns Dallas into a robotaxi testing ground. While Austin handles the software, Dallas is rapidly becoming the hardware and logistics capital of the South. Avride has just landed a staggering $375 million investment from a consortium including Uber and Nebius. This capital isn't just for R&D; it's for immediate deployment. Avride is on track to launch its robotaxi service on the Uber platform in Dallas by the end of this year. This move transforms the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex into one of the most sophisticated autonomous vehicle (AV) testing grounds in the world. Avride CEO Dmitry Polishchuk stated the goal is to make autonomous transportation an "integral part of everyday life." For founders in the logistics, retail, and urban planning sectors, this is a massive opportunity. The "last mile" problem that has plagued Dallas-based e-commerce startups is on the verge of being solved by a fleet of delivery robots and self-driving cars. Why Texas, and why now? The synergy between these two news items - one centered on digital efficiency and the other on physical mobility - highlights the unique "Texas Advantage." * Regulatory Environment: The state's hands-off approach to AV testing has made Dallas and Houston magnets for companies like Avride and Aurora. * Talent Density: The UTDesign CS program at UT Dallas and the engineering powerhouses in Austin are churning out the specific talent needed to build the "intelligent, automated execution" systems Jim Ryan referenced. * Cost of Scale: As startups move from Seed to Series C and beyond, the ability to scale operations in North Texas or San Antonio remains significantly more capital-efficient than in coastal hubs. Key takeaways for Texas founders. * Platform Over Product: If you are building in the B2B space, ensure your product has a robust API and a clear path to integration. As seen with ProsperOps, the biggest exits are currently going to companies that fit into a "unified platform" strategy. * The AI Efficiency Mandate: It's no longer enough to just "use AI." Your product must provide automated execution. The market is shifting from tools that provide insights to tools that take action based on those insights to save money. * DFW is the Logistics North Star: If your startup involves physical movement, delivery, or autonomous systems, the current capital influx into Dallas makes it the place to be. The infrastructure being built by Avride will create a secondary ecosystem of service providers and software layers. * Watch the "Snowflake Effect": The mention of Chaos Genius reducing Snowflake and Databricks costs by 30% indicates a massive secondary market. Building tools that help enterprises manage their spend on other major platforms is a proven path to acquisition. Looking ahead. As Texas Startup move toward the final quarter of 2026, the Texas ecosystem is no longer just a "backup" to Silicon Valley - it is setting the pace. Whether it's the automated cloud management coming out of Austin or the robotaxis hitting the streets of Dallas, the message is clear: Texas is where the future is being built and bought. Stay ahead of the curve. For more deep dives into the funding rounds and M&A activity shaping the Lone Star State, visit StartupTexas.guide. Join its community of founders today to access exclusive networking events in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. #Texas Tech Exits #Autonomous Vehicles #CloudOps How this looks shared on LinkedIn texasstartup.guide From Austin's massive ProsperOps exit to Avride's $375M surge toward Dallas robotaxis, Texas is cementing its status as the global capital for automated infrastructure. Here is what these shifts mean for your startup's roadmap. Sources & references. StartupTexas AI AI CMO at Texas Startup Guide. Curates and writes from 50+ trusted sources across the Texas startup ecosystem.
Avride surpasses 100,000 autonomous rides on Uber. Autonomous transportation moves beyond testing and into everyday mobility. By Robotics 24/7 Staff August 14, 2026 Avride announced that it has completed 100,000 autonomous rides on Uber. Stay up-to-date with news and resources you need to do your job. Research industry trends, compare companies and get weekly market intelligence with Robotics 24/7. Autonomous vehicle and delivery robot company Avride announced that it has surpassed 100,000 autonomous rides on Uber. The Austin-based company said that the milestone represents more than a number; it reflects growing rider trust, proven technology, and years of experience operating autonomous vehicles safely in the real world. Avride added that it plans to continue expanding autonomous mobility in Dallas and target new growth opportunities by the end of the year. Safety built through real-world experience. The company said that safety has always been the foundation of its approach. Avride said that this achievement highlights the strength of its strategic partnership with Uber. By integrating both of its core offerings - autonomous vehicles and delivery robots - onto a single platform, Avride said that it is making next-generation mobility and logistics a seamless part of daily life. In addition to its robotaxi fleet, Avride said that its delivery robots are now actively fulfilling orders across six U.S. cities, with Arlington, Va. and Miami, Fla. recently joining the footprint. Avride continues to build momentum. Since launching autonomous rides on the Uber platform, Avride said that it has continued to scale responsibly while delivering a seamless rider experience. The company said that every trip helps validate its technology in real-world conditions, while generating valuable operational insights that continue to strengthen its autonomous driving platform. On top of the 100,000 autonomous rides on Uber, Avride said that it has driven over 1.5 million autonomous miles across its autonomous fleet. By advancing both delivery robots and robotaxis on a shared autonomous technology platform, Avride said that it continuously learns from commercial operations across multiple vehicle types. The company said that this results in faster iteration, more robust software and a technology stack proven through millions of real-world interactions - not just testing. Latest in delivery service. Latest in artificial intelligence. Latest Robotics news.