This “toaster on wheels” is valued at $5B

New funding alert

From The Hustle

Nuro is a startup creating autonomous delivery vehicles.

Forbes calls it a “toaster on wheels” -- which apparently makes it the most valuable toaster in the world.

Founded by 2 ex-Googlers (or Xooglers, per obnoxious company parlance), Nuro is fresh off a $500m funding round that values the company at $5B.

Nuro’s self-driving toaster is smaller than a car

Formally known as the R2, the vehicle has no steering wheels or pedals, tops out at 25mph and is “about half the size of a mid-size passenger car.”

Its feature sheet is also a real hoot:

• Touch screen: For customers (or law enforcement, lol)
• 360-degree view: Sensors all around the car make it road safe
• Pedestrian-protecting front end: Specially designed panels absorb front-end impact

The business model won’t charge customers

Rather, restaurants, grocers, and retailers who want their goods delivered locally will pay a fee.

Per TechCrunch, Nuro ran a pilot with Walmart, Domino’s, and CVS in 2018. With $1.5B in total funding, the startup will continue to improve its product by testing on public roads in Arizona, Texas, and California.

This all sounds very exciting but we should mention that none of the funding news answers our most pressing question: How many slices of sourdough bread can a Nuro toast at once?