British Tech Company Secures $103M for Self-Driving Vehicle Expansion

Oxford-based startup Oxa has secured $103 million in funding to expand its autonomous vehicle technology for industrial settings like ports and airports. The company focuses on self-driving solutions for commercial operations rather than passenger vehicles, working with major clients including DHL and BP.

A British technology company specializing in autonomous vehicles announced Wednesday it has secured $103 million in new funding to expand operations targeting industrial facilities such as ports, airports, and warehouses.

Oxford-based Oxa received half of its Series D funding round—$50 million—from the United Kingdom’s National Wealth Fund, with additional investments coming from technology giant Nvidia’s investment division NVentures and energy company BP’s venture arm bp Ventures.

Rather than pursuing the passenger vehicle market like many robotaxi companies, Oxa concentrates on what company founder Paul Newman describes as “industrial mobile autonomy,” where operations are simpler due to reduced traffic and fewer pedestrian interactions.

“We think trying to do that in the passenger car space is super, super hard,” Newman explained. “In the industrial space, it’s extremely clear what you need to do to make a product.”

The company develops both software and hardware systems for vehicles and can convert a commercial port truck to autonomous operation in less than 24 hours, according to company officials.

This latest investment brings Oxa’s cumulative funding beyond $250 million and will support expanded partnerships with major clients such as DHL, BP, and Vantec.

Newman indicated the new capital will also fund technology deployment in upcoming projects the company plans to reveal soon.

The funding announcement comes just weeks after another British autonomous vehicle startup, Wayve, which partners with Uber on robotaxi services and collaborates with automakers on driver assistance systems, announced it had raised $1.2 billion in its own Series D funding round.