Microsoft Partners With GM-Backed Cruise On Robotaxi Tech, Joins $2 Billion Funding Round

Microsoft Partners With GM-Backed Cruise On Robotaxi Tech, Joins $2 Billion Funding Round

Cruise, the San Francisco-based robotaxi developer backed by General Motors, is getting financial and technological support from Microsoft to help it commercialize the autonomous ride service its developing.

The tech giant is joining a new $2 billion funding round for Cruise, which also includes backing from Honda and institutional investors, and is making its cloud computing platform Azure available for the company's developers. With the new investment round, Cruise estimates its valuation is now $30 billion.

"Advances in digital technology are redefining every aspect of our work and life, including how we move people and goods,“ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement. "As Cruise and GM's preferred cloud, we will apply the power of Azure to help them scale and make autonomous transportation mainstream.“

The new partnership with Microsoft strengthens Cruise's push to get its autonomous electric Origin vans on the road as it vies with competitors including Alphabet's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox to create a viable service in urban markets. Still, the exact timing of when any of the companies