SafeAI
SafeAI developed autonomous driving retrofit systems for existing heavy trucks and equipment used in mining and construction industries, selling hardware and software solutions to enterprise operators seeking improved safety, productivity, and reduced labor costs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSanta Clara, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SafeAI does
SafeAI was a privately held autonomous vehicle technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Milpitas, California, that developed hardware-and-software retrofit systems to convert existing heavy trucks and equipment into self-driving machines for off-road environments. The company's core product combined multimodal sensor inputs — including LiDAR, GPS, vision, and proximity sensors — with computer-vision perception and autonomous-agent software to enable continuous operation in mines, quarries, and construction sites without human drivers. SafeAI targeted the autonomous heavy-equipment market, which it sized at over $18 billion, with its retrofit-first approach positioned as a capital-efficient alternative to purchasing purpose-built autonomous vehicles.
The business model centered on direct enterprise field sales to mining and construction operators, with revenue generated through hardware sales of retrofit kits and project-based technology development services. Pricing was custom and undisclosed, varying by vehicle type, fleet size, and integration scope. SafeAI served two primary verticals — mining and construction — with a flagship deployment partnership with Obayashi Corporation, a major Japanese construction firm, for an autonomous construction project in Cupertino, California. Strategic capital came from motion-control specialist Moog Inc., which led the Series B.
SafeAI raised approximately $64 million across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds between 2019 and 2022, and was acquired by Pronto.ai, a San Francisco-based off-road autonomy company, in July 2025. The acquisition consolidated SafeAI's technology, talent, and international customer relationships into Pronto's autonomous haulage system offerings, ending SafeAI's operation as an independent entity.
SafeAI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SafeAI
- Legal name
- SafeAI
- Website
- https://safeai.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SafeAI developed autonomous driving retrofit systems for existing heavy trucks and equipment used in mining and construction industries, selling hardware and software solutions to enterprise operators seeking improved safety, productivity, and reduced labor costs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SafeAI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Heavy Equipment Technology
- NAICS
- Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120), Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)
- SIC
- Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mining & Quarry Haulage Vehicle Manufacturing (Dump Trucks/Haulers) (IMACAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Construction Equipment Vehicle Manufacturing (Earthmoving/Loaders/Excavators/Dozers) (IMACAFAA), Active Safety Sensing Hardware Manufacturing (Radar/LiDAR/Cameras/Ultrasonic) (IMACAMAF), Off-Highway Vehicle Cabs, Frames & Attachments Manufacturing (Cabs/Booms/Buckets/Implements) (IMACAFAL)
Keywords
Where SafeAI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Clara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SafeAI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Autonomous Technology Retrofit Solutions: SafeAI generated revenue by retrofitting existing construction and mining vehicles with proprietary hardware and software to enable autonomous operation. This involved selling and installing autonomous technology packages onto customer-owned heavy equipment fleets, with focus on efficiency, safety, and cost savings improvements.
- Technology Development Services: Revenue generated through development and deployment of autonomous technology solutions, including project-based work with construction and mining partners such as Obayashi Corporation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
SafeAI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SafeAI developed and sold autonomous driving technology retrofits for heavy-equipment vehicles used in construction and mining. Its core product was a combined hardware and software kit installed on customer-owned haul trucks and earthmoving equipment to enable self-driving operation in off-road environments such as mines and quarries. The company also delivered project-based autonomous technology deployment services and fleet coordination systems for industrial sites.
Product overview
SafeAI offers a modular autonomous heavy equipment platform centered on retrofit technology for mining and construction vehicles. The core offering is a hardware and software retrofit system that converts existing heavy trucks and equipment into autonomous vehicles, paired with autonomous haulage technology for coordinating fleet operations in off-road industrial environments. The company targets the construction and mining sectors with a focus on safety and productivity improvements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Autonomous Heavy Equipment Retrofit System
Quantifiable outcome
- Targeted market valued at over $18 billion in autonomous heavy equipment for mining and construction
Companies that use SafeAI
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SafeAI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature2 records
SafeAI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Pronto.aiflagshipPronto.ai, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in autonomous systems for off-road vehicles, acquired SafeAI in July 2025. The acquisition was valued in the millions and was designed to enhance Pronto's talent pool and technology offerings, consolidating its position in the autonomous haulage system space and expanding its international customer base.
- Obayashi CorporationcoreObayashi Corporation, a major Japanese construction company, partnered with SafeAI for an autonomous technology project in Cupertino, California. This partnership demonstrated SafeAI's ability to deploy autonomous solutions for construction industry applications and served as a reference implementation for the technology.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SafeAI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Komatsu: Major mining and construction equipment OEM operating the FrontRunner autonomous haulage system. Competes with SafeAI in autonomous haul trucks for surface mining, leveraging deep OEM relationships and integrated vehicle-plus-autonomy sales.
- Hexagon (Autonomy & Positioning division): Provides positioning, perception, and autonomy-enabling technologies to mining operators and equipment OEMs. Comparable as an enabling technology supplier rather than a direct autonomous haulage competitor.
Direct peers
- ASI Mining: Specializes in vehicle automation solutions for mining haulage, including retrofit kits for Komatsu and Caterpillar trucks. Directly comparable to SafeAI in mining autonomy retrofit use case and customer segment.
- Pronto.ai: San Francisco-based developer of off-road autonomous haulage systems (AHS) for mines and quarries. Directly comparable to SafeAI in target market (off-road AHS), customer base (mining operators), and technology stack (autonomy software + hardware retrofit).
- Built Robotics: San Francisco-based startup that develops autonomous retrofit kits for construction equipment such as dozers and excavators. Closely comparable to SafeAI in retrofit-first approach, construction vertical focus, and AI-driven autonomy stack.
Broad incumbents
- Aurora Innovation: Public autonomous vehicle company developing the Aurora Driver for trucking and other applications. Comparable as a broad autonomy peer with overlapping perception/planning technology, but focused on on-road commercial vehicles.
- Caterpillar: Largest mining and construction equipment OEM globally, offering Cat® MineStar™ Command autonomous haulage as part of its broader equipment portfolio. Competitor to SafeAI in autonomous mining haulage, but bundled with new vehicle sales rather than offered as a standalone retrofit.
- Volvo Autonomous Solutions: Autonomous trucking and off-road autonomy division of Volvo Group, targeting mining, quarrying, and hub-to-hub logistics. Comparable in target verticals and autonomy-first positioning, though it benefits from Volvo's OEM scale.
Emerging players
- Kodiak Robotics: Develops autonomous technology for long-haul trucking. Comparable in autonomy technology stack and AI-driven perception, though focused on on-road rather than off-road applications.
- TuSimple: Autonomous trucking company using AI for long-haul freight. Comparable in AI-driven heavy-vehicle autonomy and similar perception/sensor fusion approach, but operating exclusively in the on-road domain.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SafeAI social profiles
Digital presenceSafeAI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SafeAI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SafeAI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SafeAI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SafeAI
What does SafeAI do?
SafeAI developed and sold autonomous driving technology retrofits for heavy-equipment vehicles used in construction and mining. Its core product was a combined hardware and software kit installed on customer-owned haul trucks and earthmoving equipment to enable self-driving operation in off-road environments such as mines and quarries. The company also delivered project-based autonomous technology deployment services and fleet coordination systems for industrial sites.
Is SafeAI a public or private company?
SafeAI is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently acquired.
When was SafeAI founded?
SafeAI was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SafeAI based?
SafeAI is headquartered in Santa Clara, United States, in the North America region.
How does SafeAI make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Autonomous Technology Retrofit Solutions are the primary driver. The others are technology Development Services.
Who are SafeAI's main competitors?
Others on record are Komatsu and Hexagon (Autonomy & Positioning division). Direct peers are ASI Mining, Pronto.ai and Built Robotics. Broad incumbents are Aurora Innovation, Caterpillar and Volvo Autonomous Solutions. Emerging players are Kodiak Robotics and TuSimple.
Does SafeAI have an API?
No public API is recorded for SafeAI.
What industry is SafeAI in?
SafeAI's product category is Autonomous Heavy Equipment Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAFAC, Mining & Quarry Haulage Vehicle Manufacturing (Dump Trucks/Haulers), with a secondary code of IMACAFAA, Construction Equipment Vehicle Manufacturing (Earthmoving/Loaders/Excavators/Dozers). Its NAICS code is 3331 and its SIC code is 3530.