May Mobility lays off 40 amid self-driving headwinds

Self-driving tech company May Mobility laid off about 13 percent of its work force this week, the firm said Thursday.

Approximately 40 workers were affected, a company spokesperson said.

The company released a statement noting that it will "strive to achieve our mission" and "focus on the company's highest business priorities."

May Mobility has four ongoing deployments of autonomous vehicles, including in its headquarters of Ann Arbor, Mich. Sheryl Seitz, vice president of marketing and communication, said no location was affected by the layoffs more than another.

The company's driverless service in Sun City, Ariz., which launched in December, remains operational, she said.

The Toyota-backed self-driving startup joins others in the industry in trimming employees amid broad industry headwinds. Robotaxi company Cruise cut more than 900 workers, about 24 percent of its work force, in December. Waymo endured three rounds of layoffs last year.

May Mobility raised a Series D round of $105 million in November. It has raised $302.6 million to date, according to Crunchbase records.

In November, CEO Ed Olson said May Mobility employed about 300 people. The company has long prided itself on pursuing driverless technology with a far smaller staff than competitors.

May Mobility's business model is somewhat different than robotaxi providers such as Waymo and Cruise. It contracts with municipalities and city transportation departments to provide autonomous transportation.

"Any time you are in a midsize city and you see an empty bus driving around, that's our target market," Olson said in November.

May Mobility said it will provide compensation, health insurance and career services to the departing employees.

"We are grateful to everyone who has worked to make May Mobility a leader in autonomous vehicle technology," the written statement said.