Autonomy Push: Rivian Acquires UK Firm to Rebuild Fleet Video Into 3D Test Tracks

Rivian has acquired the 15-person UK startup Third Dimension to convert real-world driving footage into digital test tracks for its self-driving software.

The deal was first reported by TechCrunch. Rivian did not disclose the purchase price. The acquisition targets the specific challenge of training autonomous vehicles on rare road events that are difficult to encounter in natural driving conditions.

Third Dimension was founded in 2024 by Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokólski. Kart previously spent two years at Tesla working on Autopilot simulation and five years at Activision. Sokólski spent four years at Wayve building photorealistic neural simulators. The startup raised a $7 million seed round led by Felicis in October 2024. It originally marketed its generative AI tools to game studios, film production, and the US military.

The entire team will move into Rivian's autonomy and AI group, which is led by James Philbin. Philbin told TechCrunch that simulation is central to how Rivian trains and validates its systems. He stated that Third Dimension has built technology that turns real-world data into detailed 3D environments. Because most of the staff is based in the UK, the acquisition expands Rivian's presence in London.

Rivian's fleet of R1S, R1T, R2, and commercial vans sends back more than 400,000 driving sequences daily from owners who opt into data sharing. Most of this footage is routine. Engineers struggle to find rare scenarios, such as a mattress in the fast lane or a child running between parked cars, in the daily volume. The new team will use Third Dimension's tools to recreate these specific scenes in 3D and alter variables for testing. This approach avoids waiting months for such events to occur naturally.

Rivian faces a strict timeline for its autonomy rollout. In March, Uber agreed to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian to deploy R2 robotaxis. Only $300 million is paid upfront. The remaining funding depends on autonomy milestones, including 10,000 driverless R2 vehicles on Uber's network in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028. Rivian's point-to-point driving feature is scheduled to reach a small group of invited Autonomy+ owners later this year. Those testers must sign a nondisclosure agreement. The company has shifted its target for "eyes-off" driving from 2026 to 2027. Level 4 capability is planned for 2028 on the Gen 3 hardware.