Top 100 Transportation Startups to Watch in 2026
The transportation sector is seeing major changes driven by new companies across the globe. These businesses are creating new ways for people and goods to move.
For example, Estonia's Bolt has gathered $2.3 billion for its all-in-one mobility app. In the United States, Beta Technologies is building electric aircraft with $1.8 billion in funding.
Below is our list of 100 Transportation startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Bolt provides a super-app for urban mobility, offering everything from ride-hailing and food delivery to scooter and car-sharing services. This wide range of services positions them as a major player in making urban transportation more accessible and affordable.
| Headquarters | Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Markus Villig, Martin Villig, Oliver Leisalu |
| Funding Amount | $2.3B |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | European Investment Bank, Citi, Sequoia Capital, Deutsche Bank, International Finance Corporation |
Beta Technologies develops all-electric aircraft, including both conventional and vertical takeoff and landing models designed for cargo and passenger use. The company supports its aircraft with a proprietary charging network and flight training simulators to create a complete electric aviation ecosystem.
| Headquarters | South Burlington, Vermont, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Kyle Clark |
| Funding Amount | $1.8B |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Fidelity, RedBird Capital Partners, GE Aerospace, Qatar Investment Authority, Export-Import Bank of the United States |
May Mobility develops and deploys autonomous vehicle technology for public transportation systems. Their fleets of self-driving shuttles are designed to improve transit access and create safer, more efficient community mobility.
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Alisyn Malek, Edwin Olson, Steve Vozar |
| Funding Amount | $309.6M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Y Combinator, SV Angel, Liquid 2 Ventures, Toyota Motor, Palm Drive Capital |
Sumsub builds an all-in-one verification platform to help businesses onboard users securely and fight digital fraud. Their solution provides customizable KYC, KYB, and AML checks to ensure compliance and protect against identity theft across the entire customer journey.
| Headquarters | Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Andrew Sever, Jacob Sever, Peter Sever, Vyacheslav Zholudev |
| Funding Amount | $37.5M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Flint Capital |
Motive builds a fleet management platform that uses AI to improve driver safety and operational productivity. Their technology helps businesses manage vehicle fleets, ensure compliance, and increase profitability through integrated hardware and software solutions.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Obaid Khan, Ryan Johns, Shoaib Makani |
| Funding Amount | $717.3M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Insight Partners, BlackRock, Index Ventures, IVP, Kleiner Perkins |
Shift5 builds cybersecurity solutions to defend operational technology platforms like planes, trains, and weapon systems from cyber threats. Their platform combines hardware and software to give critical infrastructure operators the data and insights needed to detect and respond to attacks.
| Headquarters | Arlington, Virginia, United States |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Josh Lospinoso |
| Funding Amount | $180.5M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | CSP Equity Partners, Insight Partners, 645 Ventures, AE Industrial Partners, Booz Allen Ventures |
Careem is building a super-app for the Middle East to handle everyday needs from transportation and food delivery to digital payments. The platform brings together a variety of on-demand services, making it easier for users to manage their daily lives through a single app.
| Headquarters | Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Abdulla Elyas, Magnus Olsson, Mudassir Sheikha |
| Funding Amount | $771.7M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | STV, Coatue, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Rakuten, BECO Capital |
inDrive has developed a global mobility and urban services platform that connects passengers with drivers. Their app's core feature allows users to directly negotiate and agree upon the fare, challenging the fixed-price model of other ride-hailing services.
| Headquarters | Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Arsen Tomsky |
| Funding Amount | $537M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | General Catalyst, Insight Partners, Bond, LETA Capital |
Zoox develops purpose-built, autonomous robotaxis for its on-demand mobility service. These all-electric vehicles are created from the ground up to navigate complex urban environments safely and efficiently.
| Headquarters | Foster City, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Jesse Levinson, Tim Kentley Klay |
| Funding Amount | $1B |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Convertible Note |
| Top Investors | Lux Capital, Blackbird Ventures, IDG Capital, Employee Stock Option Fund, Threshold |
Einride provides a freight technology platform for digital, electric, and autonomous shipping. The company deploys its own fleet of connected electric trucks and autonomous pods to make freight transport more sustainable and efficient.
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Filip Lilja, Linnéa Kornehed, Robert Falck |
| Funding Amount | $752.3M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Plug and Play, Temasek Holdings, EQT Ventures, Northzone, IonQ |
90 Additional Transportation Startups Worth Following
The top 10 are just a small slice of what’s happening across the transportation world. Founders are working on everything from AI to space travel, and together they have raised tens of billions of dollars.
Some of these companies are brand new, while others are already well known names. Here’s a look at the other startups that are helping to define the future of how we get around.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sierra Space | Manufacturing | 2021 | $1.7B | Series B |
 Waymo | AI | 2009 | $11.1B | Series C |
 Blue Water Autonomy | Manufacturing | 2024 | $64M | Series A |
 Augment | AI | 2024 | $110M | Series A |
 Fetcherr | Mobility | 2019 | $156.5M | Series C |
 Rapido | Data | 2015 | $825.4M | Secondary Market |
 Akasa Air | Mobility | 2021 | $160M | Venture Round |
 FERNRIDE | Mobility | 2019 | $82.1M | Series A |
 Porter | Logistics | 2014 | $356.9M | Venture Round |
 SITA | Mobility | 1949 | $400M | Debt Financing |
 Breeze Airways | Mobility | 2018 | $287.3M | Series B |
 Air India | Mobility | 1932 | $1.4B | Debt Financing |
 FlavorCloud | Retail | 2017 | $18.1M | Series B |
 T2 | Enterprise | 2022 | ¥10.5B | Series B |
 Lytx | Enterprise | 1998 | $769M | Convertible Note |
 Avelo Airlines | Mobility | 2020 | $175.2M | Venture Round |
 GoodShip | Logistics | 2022 | $40.4M | Series B |
 Veho | Logistics | 2016 | $299.2M | Series B |
 EV Realty | Mobility | 2021 | $103M | Private Equity |
 Venus Aerospace | Mobility | 2020 | $43M | Grant |
 Riyadh Air | Mobility | 2023 | SAR5B | Debt Financing |
 OneRail | Logistics | 2018 | $109.5M | Series C |
 The Boring Company | Manufacturing | 2016 | $908M | Secondary Market |
 BusCaro | Fintech | 2022 | $4M | Seed |
 Motiv Electric Trucks | Mobility | 2009 | $310.8M | Undisclosed |
 Plus | AI | 2016 | $520M | Series C |
 NoTraffic | AI | 2017 | $75.7M | Series B |
 Pyka | Mobility | 2017 | $88.1M | Series B |
 Flexjet | Mobility | 1995 | $800M | Private Equity |
 Euler Motors | Mobility | 2018 | $224.7M | Series D |
 Rad Power Bikes | Environment | 2007 | $329.3M | Series D |
 Radia | Mobility | 2016 | $100M | Series C |
 BeyondTrucks | Fintech | 2019 | $4M | Series A |
 Inversion | Mobility | 2021 | $54.1M | Series A |
 AtoB | Fintech | 2019 | $312M | Series C |
 Electra.aero | Mobility | 2020 | $115M | Series B |
 RunBuggy | Mobility | 2018 | $71M | Series B |
 Also | Mobility | 2025 | $305M | Venture Round |
 LanzaJet | Mobility | 2020 | $277.5M | Grant |
 Futurail | AI | 2023 | $6.5M | Seed |
 WheelsOn | Travel | 2023 | $12.5M | Seed |
 Skyscanner | Enterprise | 2003 | $197.2M | Venture Round |
 ePower | Mobility | 2018 | $48M | Venture Round |
 Regent | Mobility | 2020 | $87M | Venture Round |
 BasiGo | Mobility | 2021 | $63.1M | Series A |
 CloudTrucks | Media | 2019 | $141.6M | Series B |
 Revel | Media | 2018 | $274M | Debt Financing |
 Adani Airports | Mobility | 2019 | $1.1B | Debt Financing |
 Ninja Van | Logistics | 2014 | $1B | Debt Financing |
 VOI Technology | Media | 2018 | $595.3M | Debt Financing |
 Nexar | AI | 2015 | $149.5M | Series D |
 Amplio | Hardware | 2021 | $17.1M | Series A |
 Flock Freight | Logistics | 2015 | $459M | Series E |
 Pando | AI | 2015 | $41M | Series B |
 Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry | Mobility | 2021 | CN¥510M | Series A |
 Ample | Mobility | 2014 | $326.9M | Grant |
 Zum | Media | 2015 | $399.6M | Grant |
 Parallel Systems | Mobility | 2020 | $91.3M | Series B |
 Merlin Labs | Mobility | 2018 | $133.5M | Series B |
 SMBC Aviation Capital | Mobility | 1997 | $2.1B | Debt Financing |
 Skyryse | Mobility | 2016 | $233.5M | Series B |
 Vector | Logistics | 2014 | $10M | Debt Financing |
 Glydways | Energy | 2016 | $212.5M | Undisclosed |
 Zeelo | Enterprise | 2016 | $56.6M | Series B |
 GreenCell Mobility | Mobility | 2019 | $501.2M | Debt Financing |
 Virgin Atlantic Airways | Mobility | 1984 | $1.6B | Secondary Market |
 BluSmart Mobility | Mobility | 2019 | $486.3M | Series B |
 Faye | Fintech | 2021 | $49M | Series B |
 Burq | Logistics | 2021 | $10.5M | Series A |
 Nuro | AI | 2016 | $2.3B | Series E |
 Candela | Sports | 2014 | $96.2M | Venture Round |
 ChargerHelp! | Energy | 2020 | $20.3M | Series A |
 Bluedot | Mobility | 2021 | $7M | Seed |
 Transfix | Enterprise | 2013 | $169M | Series F |
 Simple Energy | Mobility | 2019 | $71.9M | Convertible Note |
 Turo | Mobility | 2009 | $570.1M | Secondary Market |
 Cowboy | Mobility | 2017 | $156.8M | Debt Financing |
 Skyroot Aerospace | Mobility | 2018 | $95.1M | Series C |
 GMR Group | Manufacturing | 2001 | $1.9B | Debt Financing |
 Vilego | Mobility | 2020 | CN¥50M | Series B |
 The Exploration Company | Mobility | 2021 | $196.8M | Series B |
 Bollinger Motors | Mobility | 2015 | $13M | Debt Financing |
 TruKKer | Logistics | 2016 | $335.4M | Debt Financing |
 Oncue | SaaS | 2016 | $11.3M | Series A |
 Blacklane | Media | 2011 | $203.5M | Series G |
 Optimal Dynamics | AI | 2017 | $95.8M | Series C |
 Beyond Aero | Mobility | 2020 | $20M | Series A |
 Reliable Robotics Corporation | Mobility | 2017 | $133.5M | Series C |
 Nuvocargo | Fintech | 2018 | $74.4M | Series B |
 Watco Companies | Enterprise | 1983 | $1.6B | Debt Financing |
