Humble raises $24 million in seed funding to develop an autonomous Class 8 electric truck

Humble, an autonomous trucking startup, has secured $24 million in seed funding to advance the development of its fully autonomous, cabless electric Class 8 hauler. Emerging from stealth mode, the company unveiled a prototype designed specifically for freight transportation, with an initial focus on moving shipping containers. The funding round was led by investment firm Eclipse and will support the ongoing refinement of Humble’s vehicle platform, pilot deployments, and early-stage manufacturing efforts. The Humble Hauler is built from the ground up to leverage the latest advancements in autonomous vehicle (AV) and electric vehicle (EV) technology. By removing the traditional cab, the vehicle is considerably lighter than conventional Class 8 trucks, which enhances efficiency and performance. Its design incorporates 360-degree sensor coverage through cameras, LiDAR, and radar, enabling comprehensive situational awareness for true dock-to-dock autonomous operation. The hauler also employs vision-language-action (VLA) models, allowing it to interpret complex environments and make decisions in unfamiliar scenarios. Eyal Cohen, Humble’s founder and CEO, emphasised that the company aims to revolutionise freight by delivering a fully automated, sustainable, and safe transport solution. He highlighted the rapid pace of development, noting that the first vehicle prototype was completed within six months. Humble is now collaborating with logistics and supply chain partners to initiate autonomous testing and commercial pilot programmes, signalling a move towards real-world deployment. Jiten Behl, partner at Eclipse and a board member at Humble, praised the company’s comprehensive approach to autonomous trucking. He stressed that the challenge extends beyond software, requiring a holistic redesign of hardware, artificial intelligence, and electrification systems. With this fresh capital injection and its innovative platform, Humble is positioning itself at the forefront of the next generation of electric autonomous freight vehicles, potentially reshaping the future of heavy goods transport.