Kodiak AI

Kodiak AI, Inc. (formerly known as Kodiak Robotics, Inc.) is an American technology company that develops artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving systems for commercial trucking and related applications. The company’s primary product, the Kodiak Driver, is an integrated autonomous driving system designed to enable trucks to operate without a human driver.

History

Kodiak Robotics was founded in 2018 by Don Burnette with the aim of commercializing autonomous trucking technology for long-haul freight transportation. The company focused on developing advanced AI software and modular hardware systems capable of supporting driverless operations in real-world conditions.

In April 2025, Kodiak entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Ares Acquisition Corporation II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), under which Kodiak would become a publicly traded entity. The merger valued the combined company at approximately $2.5 billion and included commitments from institutional investors. Upon closing of the transaction in September 2025, the company was renamed Kodiak AI, Inc., and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols KDK and KDKRW.

Technology and operations

Kodiak AI’s flagship offering is the Kodiak Driver, an AI-powered autonomous driving system that integrates advanced software with modular hardware designed to be compatible with existing commercial trucks. The system has been used to operate freight deliveries for commercial customers, including deployments in the Permian Basin. Kodiak offers its technology through a Driver-as-a-Service model in which customers pay for access to autonomous operations on a per-mile or per-vehicle basis.

In 2024, Kodiak became one of the first companies to deploy customer-owned autonomous trucks in commercial service. By late 2025, its autonomous systems had logged millions of miles and thousands of paid driverless hours in freight operations, and orders had been placed for additional vehicles.

Partnerships

In 2022, U.S. Xpress partnered with Kodiak. Kodiak has also partnered with Roush Industries to up-fit vehicles with the Kodiak Driver and has expanded collaborations. It also commercially partnered with Atlas Energy Solutions, whose fleet includes driverless trucks delivering sand in the Permian Basin in Texas. It also achieved fully driverless operations in some settings. Long-haul deliveries with large carriers like C.R. England, J.B. Hunt and Werner Enterprises continue to include safety drivers during broader rollout phases. In 2022, they partnered with IKEA.

In early 2026, Kodiak announced a hardware partnership with Bosch aimed at scaling components and sensor systems for commercial deployment of its autonomous platforms.

Public listing and financials

After completing the business combination with Ares Acquisition Corporation II in September 2025, Kodiak AI began trading publicly on the Nasdaq. As of the third quarter of 2025, the company reported growth in deployments of its autonomous technology, including additional fully driverless trucks and cumulative autonomous operating hours.

See also

  • Autonomous truck
  • Self-driving car
  • Artificial intelligence in transportation