End of the road: Ghost Autonomy, with OpenAI support, shuts down

Ghost Autonomy, a startup focused on developing autonomous driving software for automotive partners, has ceased operations, according to a company announcement.

Having secured nearly USD 220 million in funding, the startup announced the closure of its global operations on April 3. The note on the company website says, "We are proud of the substantial technical innovations and progress the Ghost team made on its mission to deliver software-defined consumer autonomy. The path to long-term profitability was uncertain given the current funding climate and long-term investment required for autonomy development and commercialization. We are exploring potential long-term destinations for our team's innovations."

This development follows just five months after Ghost Autonomy partnered with OpenAI through the OpenAI Startup Fund, granting them early access to OpenAI systems and Microsoft Azure resources. The startup had also received a USD 5 million investment from OpenAI. Last year, Ghost concluded a USD 55 million funding round, including contributions from early investors such as Keith Rabois at Founders Fund and Mike Speiser at Sutter Hill Ventures. 

With approximately 100 employees, Ghost Autonomy had established bases in Mountain View, Dallas, and Sydney. Ghost Autonomy underwent several strategic shifts since its inception in 2017 as Ghost Locomotion. Initially focusing on developing kits for privately owned vehicles to achieve autonomous highway driving by 2020, the company later pivoted towards crash prevention technology.