Mars Auto
YC W19Seoul, KR · Founded 2017 · Delaware corporation · 15 employees · 4 known investors
Mars Auto builds autonomous Class 8 trucks for commercial cargo transportation in Korea and the United States, using a vision-focused AI driving system that does not rely on pre-mapped routes. The company operates self-driving trucks for long-haul freight hauling with plans to deploy fully unmanned vehicles by 2028.
Also known as Mars Auto Inc.
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W19)
Mars Auto was founded in 2017 by Ilsu Park and Gyuri Im.
Investors · 4
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$11.2M disclosed across 1 round · 2022
▶$11.2MraisedMar 2022 · 25 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Ilsu ParkExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Gyuri ImExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Offering amount
- $13.1M
- Amount sold
- $11.2M
- First sale
- Mar 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2019
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Mars Auto is an autonomous trucking company that operates self-driving Class 8 trucks hauling commercial cargo in Korea and the United States. Rather than selling autonomy hardware or software to fleet owners, the company positions itself as a vertically integrated, for-hire carrier: it combines its self-driving system with transport management so that customers can order freight moves covering route planning through truck operation. Trucks currently run in supervised mode, and the company states it plans to deploy fully unmanned trucks by 2028.
The company's technical approach avoids HD maps and LiDAR. Its vehicles carry seven cameras feeding an end-to-end AI driving agent trained on real driving data, which the company says allows operation on previously unseen roads in the manner of a human driver, in contrast with systems restricted to pre-mapped routes. Mars Auto describes an accompanying fleet data network spanning more than 30 carriers and over 100,000 miles driven daily, and reports more than 1.2 million cumulative autonomous miles and over 12% better fuel efficiency. In November 2024 it said its system is priced at $7,000 per truck and can automate up to 99% of highway routes.
Business model
Mars Auto sells trucking services rather than autonomy systems, operating as a full-service for-hire carrier that moves customer freight with its own supervised self-driving Class 8 trucks and handles route planning and truck operation on the customer's behalf.
Revenue is generated from hauling commercial freight for carriers and shippers using autonomous trucks, with the company stating the goal of cutting customers' per-mile trucking costs.
Traction
More than 1.2 million autonomous miles driven, over 100,000 miles driven daily across a network of 30+ carriers, and more than one million miles of autonomous driving completed for major firms in South Korea prior to the U.S. launch. Team size was listed at 15.
Latest developments
In November 2024 Mars Auto announced its U.S. market entry in Texas, saying all necessary registrations had been secured and that it would scale long-haul Class 8 automation across the Sunbelt. The company states it intends to deploy fully unmanned trucks by 2028.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Mars Auto entered the Texas Triangle freight corridor, where autonomous trucking companies including Aurora Innovation and Kodiak Robotics are already active, positioning itself on lower system cost and route flexibility.
Compared with autonomous trucking systems that rely on HD maps and complex sensor suites — an approach the company says can push system cost above the price of the truck and per-mile costs above human drivers — Mars Auto uses a camera-only, mapless end-to-end approach priced at $7,000 per truck, and delivers trucking services directly instead of selling systems.
Technology
A mapless, vision-focused, end-to-end AI driving agent trained directly on real driving data. Vehicles use seven cameras and interpret surroundings from real-time visual input, without HD maps or LiDAR, which the company says lowers system cost and enables driving on unfamiliar roads. The company also maintains a large truck driving data pipeline fed by its carrier network.
Go-to-market
The company approaches customers directly as a carrier, inviting shippers to move freight with its autonomous trucks, and began U.S. commercial activity in Texas with plans to scale across the Sunbelt.
Carriers, shippers and companies with long-haul highway freight needs, initially in South Korea and, from 2024, in Texas and the wider U.S. Sunbelt.
Geography
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with U.S. operations launched in Texas in 2024 (announcement datelined Austin) and stated plans to expand across the Sunbelt region; trucks operate in two countries.
History
Founded in 2017 and based in Seoul, Mars Auto took part in Y Combinator's Winter 2019 batch. In December 2023 press coverage reported the company targeting the U.S. 'middle-mile' market, and in November 2024 it announced the launch of U.S. operations in Texas.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsMars Auto announced the start of its U.S. operations, based in Texas and focused on automating long-haul Class 8 trucks, with all necessary registrations secured and plans to expand across the Sunbelt region. The company said its per-truck system is priced at $7,000 and that it had completed over one million miles of autonomous driving for major firms in South Korea.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
Mars Auto Targets Tesla-Style Vision-Based Truck Autonomy for U.S. Freight < IT·Gaming < 기사본문 - The Elec Inc.thelec.net · Jul 2026▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Mars Automarsauto.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Mars Auto do?
- Mars Auto develops mapless, vision-based autonomous Class 8 trucks and operates freight services in Korea and the United States.
- Who founded Mars Auto?
- Mars Auto was founded by Ilsu Park, Gyuri Im in 2017.
- Who are Mars Auto's investors?
- Mars Auto's investors include GFT Ventures, Kakao Ventures, Y Combinator, Zeno Ventures.
- How much funding has Mars Auto raised?
- Mars Auto has disclosed $11.2M raised across 1 round.
- Where is Mars Auto headquartered?
- Mars Auto is headquartered in Seoul, KR.