{"id":336676,"date":"2017-03-24T15:48:33","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T07:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1468496"},"modified":"2017-03-24T15:48:33","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T07:48:33","slug":"softbanks-self-driving-bus-project-pulls-in-4-6m-to-push-for-2020-commercialization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/softbanks-self-driving-bus-project-pulls-in-4-6m-to-push-for-2020-commercialization\/","title":{"rendered":"SoftBank\u2019s self-driving bus project pulls in $4.6M to push for 2020 commercialization"},"content":{"rendered":"

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SoftBank is doubling down on its self-driving bus\u00a0project in Japan. SB Drive<\/a>, an entity created<\/a> last year to develop autonomous vehicle technology for public transport,\u00a0just got a cash windfall after Yahoo Japan led a\u00a0510 million JPY ($4.6 million) investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yahoo Japan, the Yahoo affiliate which is one of Japan\u2019s most influential tech companies, provided\u00a0490 million JPY ($4.4 million) with SoftBank itself ponying up the remaining capital to retain a majority share. Post-investment, SoftBank\u2019s stake in the business stands at 51.1 percent, Yahoo Japan owns a 48.6 percent share, and\u00a0founding partner Advanced Mobility retains\u00a00.3 percent.<\/p>\n

SB Drive is a self-driving project with a focus on making public transportation options, particularly in more rural areas, smarter. The company is aiming to conduct tests on public roads next year with the eventual target\u00a0of a commercial service by 2020.<\/p>\n

Already, it said, it has run\u00a0\u201csocial trials\u201d and testing using fixed-route public buses\u00a0and freighter trucks that make use of autonomous driving tech. SB Drive has also struck partnerships\u00a0with four municipalities in Japan.<\/p>\n