Kodiak Robotics

Kodiak Robotics develops AI-powered autonomous driving technology for long-haul freight trucking. Founded in 2018 by Don Burnette, an autonomous vehicle engineer, the company builds both the perception and driving software and the purpose-built hardware required to operate semi-trucks without a driver. Its technical work spans autonomous vehicles, autonomous driving systems, AI-based perception, and trucking-specific hardware integration.

The company's flagship product, the Kodiak Driver, is an autonomous driving system for semi-trucks operating in commercial service hauling freight. As of September 2025 it had logged 3 million autonomous miles, delivered more than 5,200 hours of paid driverless service, and had 10 driverless trucks deployed, primarily across the southern United States. Kodiak was the first company to publicly announce delivery of driverless semi-trucks to customers, in 2024.

Kodiak operates beyond long-haul freight. It completed a $30m contract with the U.S. Army and works with Atlas Energy Solutions in the energy sector; its stated application areas include logistics, defense and industrial uses. The company is publicly traded on Nasdaq under the ticker KDK.

The company frames its work around road safety. It cites figures showing that more than 85% of U.S. truck crashes are caused by human error, with over 15,000 deaths from large truck crashes between 2021 and 2023, and describes its goal as building what it calls the world's safest driver. Kodiak was founded to address driver shortages, safety concerns and efficiency demands in trucking.