Rivian buys UK unit to rebuild streets for AI training

Rivian acquired Third Dimension, a 15-person UK startup, to convert real-world driving footage into 3D simulation environments for its self-driving systems. The company did not disclose the purchase price. TechCrunch first reported the transaction.

Third Dimension was founded in 2024 by Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokólski. Kart previously served as a senior director on Call of Duty at Activision and spent more than two years on Tesla's Autopilot simulation team. Sokólski worked for four years at Wayve, where he built photorealistic neural simulators for autonomous vehicles. The startup raised a $7 million seed round in October 2024 led by Felicis.

The entire Third Dimension staff is moving to Rivian's autonomy and AI group, led by James Philbin. The move expands Rivian's operational footprint in London. Philbin told TechCrunch that simulation is central to training and validating the company's autonomous driving systems. He described the startup's technology as capable of turning real-world data into detailed 3D environments.

The workflow relies on camera data from owners of the R1S, R1T, R2, and commercial vans who opt into data sharing. Philbin stated that the fleet transmits more than 400,000 driving sequences every day. While most of this footage is routine, rare events that challenge autonomous systems are difficult to capture in real time. These rare scenarios include obstacles in fast lanes, police officers overriding signals, or pedestrians emerging from between parked cars.

Engineers can now recreate these specific incidents in 3D and alter variables to test the system's reaction. This method allows for faster iteration than waiting for natural occurrences on public roads. Rivian is one of several companies pursuing this technology. Waymo launched its Waymo World Model in February, built on Google DeepMind's Genie 3. Tesla has also demonstrated a neural world simulator for its Full Self-Driving software.

Financial deadlines are driving the development pace. Uber agreed in March to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian to deploy R2 robotaxis. Only $300 million of that total is paid upfront. The remaining funds are contingent on meeting specific autonomy milestones. These milestones include placing 10,000 driverless R2 vehicles on Uber's network in San Francisco and Miami starting in 2028.

Consumer features are also on a revised schedule. Rivian's point-to-point driving feature is expected to reach a small group of invited Autonomy+ owners later this year. These testers are required to sign nondisclosure agreements. The company previously targeted 2026 for "eyes-off" driving, a promise made by CEO RJ Scaringe in January 2025. That timeline has shifted to 2027. Level 4 capability is planned for 2028 on Gen 3 hardware.