Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC), the corporate venture capital arm of the Bosch Group, has invested in Trunk, a startup based in Beijing, China. Trunk provides combined hardware and software solutions for autonomous trucking. It is the first company to go into production with autonomous trucking solutions for the container logistics market, currently valued at some 19 billion U.S. dollars (Rs 134,396 crore). The company’s solutions feature artificial intelligence (AI) and are specifically designed for logistics applications such as container transportation in and between ports and warehouses.

Trunk is a full-stack supplier for truck manufacturers. The company's developments include fleet management and remote control software, that is certified for automotive use (ISO 26262) and can be fully integrated into customer operating platforms, such as terminal operating systems in ports. Trunk’s list of clientele includes China Merchant Port, China’s biggest port operator, Tianjin Port and Sinotruck.

Trunk’s founders are Chinese pioneers in autonomous driving. The management team comprises of AI experts, automotive-industry veterans, and logistics leaders. Its shareholders include iFlyTek, GLP and EBVC.

Dr Ingo Ramesohl, the managing director of RBVC said, “Trunk’s unrivalled AI-based technology enables 24/7 goods transportation with limited human involvement. This is a key step toward achieving logistics automation in the near future. The technology is strategically relevant for numerous Bosch products in commercial-vehicle applications.”