Rivian is buying its way into better simulation as it pushes toward hands-free driving and robotaxis. The EV maker announced on Thursday that it has acquired Third Dimension AI, just a week after it launched an early access program for Point-to-Point hands-free driving.
Founded in 2024 by Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokolski, Third Dimension has built a platform that converts real-world data into detailed, controllable 3D environments.
That lets engineers rebuild tricky driving scenarios and tweak them at scale, so Rivian’s autonomy models can practise rare edge cases without waiting for them to happen on real roads.
Rivian says bringing the platform in-house will help power its “end-to-end autonomous driving data flywheel,” pairing real-world driving data with virtual scenarios.
What Rivian is getting
According to TechCrunch, the startup has a 15-person team, mostly based in the U.K., and the deal gives Rivian a chance to grow its AI hub in London.
Third Dimension’s leadership and technical staff will move into Rivian’s autonomy research and engineering teams. Neither company disclosed what Rivian paid.
“Simulation is central to how we train and validate our autonomous driving systems,” said James Philbin, Rivian’s SVP of Autonomy & AI.
“Their technology and expertise will strengthen and accelerate autonomy across our consumer and robotaxi roadmaps,” he added.
Kart, who serves as CEO, said joining Rivian lets the team “deploy our simulation technology at scale.”
Why buy Third Dimension
The acquisition comes as Rivian plans to release a version of its autonomous software by the end of this year that can handle an entire trip, from surface streets to highways, much like Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD).
The company is also working toward full autonomy for robotaxi versions of its R2 SUV, which are slated to launch on Uber’s platform in 2028.
Interestingly, Third Dimension’s technology was first built to speed up video game development before its founders turned to autonomous driving. The startup raised $7 million (C$9.8 million) in seed funding before the deal.
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