Taxi startup newmo and telecom giant KDDI have entered a capital and business alliance, with the companies aiming to begin operating autonomous taxis in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, within 2028.
Capital and business alliance · newmo × KDDI
Driverless taxis target Sakai by 2028
Tokyo taxi startup newmo and telecom carrier KDDI will combine an equity investment with a business partnership to launch autonomous taxi service in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, positioning the city as a robotaxi testbed in western Japan.
2028
Target year for launching driverless taxi service in Sakai
2
Companies in the alliance: a taxi operator and a telecom carrier
Level 4
Driverless operation under specific conditions, gradually being permitted in Japan
Undisclosed
Size of the equity investment has not been specified
How the two partners fit together
Each side brings a capability the other may lack
KDDI
Network infrastructure, real-time connectivity, large customer base
+
newmo
Experience operating taxi services
→
Driverless taxi service in Sakai
Target: 2028
What must happen before 2028
The timeline depends on each of these steps
Step 1
Technical validation
Step 2
Safety certification
Step 3
Local agreements with authorities
Goal
Service launch in Sakai, 2028
Why it matters
Telecom and mobility firms are moving from supplying technology to running transport businesses.
Autonomous ride-hailing needs reliable connectivity and real-time data, which a carrier can provide.
Sakai could serve as an early robotaxi testbed in western Japan.
What remains open
Size of the investment
Autonomous driving technology and vehicles
Operating area within Sakai
Regulatory approvals still required
The key test
Can Sakai's plan move robotaxis from demonstration to everyday public transport by 2028?
Commercial robotaxi services remain at an early stage nationwide, so the outcome will show how quickly driverless taxi service can scale beyond pilot projects.
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