Rivian Buys UK Startup to Digitize Fleet Video for Robotaxi Training

Rivian has acquired Third Dimension, a 15-person UK startup, to convert customer driving footage into 3D simulation environments.

The purchase was first reported by TechCrunch, and Rivian did not disclose the final price of the deal.

The entire team will integrate into Rivian's autonomy and AI group under the leadership of James Philbin.

Third Dimension was founded in 2024 by Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokólski, both of whom bring extensive experience from major autonomous vehicle programs.

Kart spent more than two years working on Tesla Autopilot simulation after a career in gaming and synthetic data, while Sokólski built neural simulators for Wayve over four years.

The startup raised a $7 million seed round led by Felicis in October 2024 and listed autonomous vehicle companies as potential clients.

The new unit will use data from R1S, R1T, R2, and commercial van owners who opt into camera sharing.

Philbin told TechCrunch that the fleet sends back more than 400,000 driving sequences every day.

Most of this footage is uneventful, but rare edge cases like a mattress in the fast lane or a child running between parked cars are critical for testing.

Engineers can now recreate these real-world scenes in 3D and adjust variables rather than waiting for the events to occur naturally on the road.

The acquisition expands Rivian's engineering presence in London, as most of the acquired staff are based there.

Rivian faces a tight timeline to meet its autonomy milestones following a March agreement with Uber for up to $1.25 billion in investment for R2 robotaxis.", "Only $300 million of that total is paid upfront, with the remainder contingent on deploying 10,000 driverless R2 vehicles in San Francisco and Miami by 2028.", "The company has already shifted some consumer timelines, moving its promised eyes-off driving capability from 2026 to 2027.", "Level 4 autonomy is currently targeted for 2028 on the Gen 3 hardware shown at its recent AI and Autonomy Day.", "The point-to-point driving feature is scheduled to reach a small group of invited Autonomy+ owners later this year under nondisclosure agreements.