parts suppliers have hooked into tech startups in recent years to boost their in-vehicle connectivity and to accelerate autonomous-car development. The Bay Area already is dotted with auto-industry outposts funding or recruiting Silicon Valley engineering talent to keep pace with Alphabet Inc.’s Google X and others working on self-driving cars.
Carol Reiley, president of Bay Area autonomous-driving startup Drive.ai, said her company, which like Cruise Automation and Zoox has been operating under the radar, just raised $12 million from venture-capital investors.