TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s next act
- ID
- 36771
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 19 Oct 2026, 12:05 AM
- Fetched
- 19 Oct 2026, 12:56 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/18/techcrunch-mobility-rivians-next-act/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 2.0
- Created
- 19 Oct 2026, 12:56 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
In a TechCrunch Disrupt interview, Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe framed the company as moving beyond EV manufacturing toward becoming a "tech supplier": it has built its own AI models for its in-vehicle assistant, is developing an end-to-end automated driving stack for passenger vehicles and future robotaxis via an Uber partnership, and is designing a 5 nm processor with Arm and TSMC. Rivian also has a $5.8 billion joint technology venture with VW Group covering electric architecture and software, and Scaringe said he wants to expand that JV into AI and autonomy and license Rivian's tech to "many different brands." Separately, Rivian owns 31% of industrial robotics startup Mind Robotics, which Scaringe founded and which counts Rivian as a prospective customer; Doug Field was announced onstage as its president.
Why it matters
This is an automotive strategy piece, not a tool, release, or incident you can act on — there are no APIs, pricing, benchmarks, or dates here that change what a Malaysian developer, AI learner, or SaaS founder should build or buy this week. The one transferable detail is the licensing model: Rivian is packaging its own AI models, driving stack, and 5 nm silicon as technology other brands can buy, which is the same "sell the platform, not just the product" move software founders debate — but the text gives no evidence on how that licensing is priced or contracted, so treat it as an observation, not a signal.
Discussion angle
Rivian going from EV maker to licensing its AI models and 5 nm chip to other brands — worth a short compare-and-contrast with how software startups decide between shipping a product and licensing their platform, and whether anyone in the room has seen a licensing deal actually close.