Sign In

Don Burnette

Founder & CEO @ Kodiak

Don Burnette is the Founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, a company developing advanced self-driving technology for the trucking industry.13 He is an autonomous vehicle pioneer with over a decade of experience in the field.3

Burnette's career in autonomous vehicles began at Carnegie Mellon University during the DARPA challenges era.2 He then joined Google's self-driving car team (now Waymo) as one of its early members, spending about six years there working on foundational aspects of the technology.12

After leaving Google, Burnette co-founded Otto, one of the first autonomous trucking startups.13 Otto was later acquired by Uber, where Burnette worked as a Software Technical Lead for nearly two years.3

In 2018, Burnette founded Kodiak Robotics.13 Under his leadership, Kodiak has developed the Kodiak Driver, an industry-leading self-driving technology stack purpose-built for driverless trucks.1 The company currently delivers freight daily for customers between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, operating autonomously on highway portions of the route.1

Burnette holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics and a Master's degree in Physics from the University of Florida, as well as a Master's degree in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.1

Highlights

Aug 16 · linkedin

On road. Off road. Our modular system gives the Kodiak Driver flexibility to do it all.

Aug 7 · linkedin

Kodiak continues to extend its lead in autonomous long haul trucking! 💪

On the heels of launching the world’s first driverless commercial operations, we now welcome the country’s largest intermodal carrier. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the smartest, most-innovative companies in transportation. I’m proud that they share Kodiak's vision for the future of trucking, and am thrilled to have them join the country’s largest autonomous commercial network.

This partnership underscores Kodiak’s commitment to revolutionizing the trucking industry. Kodiak is dedicated to leading the charge in transforming logistics, driving innovation, and setting new benchmarks in the industry. As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, our focus remains on shaping a future where autonomous trucking delivers unprecedented efficiency and safety.

Related Questions

What inspired Don Burnette to transition from Google to founding Kodiak Robotics?
How does Kodiak's approach to real-time perception differ from traditional mapping methods?
What are the key technological advancements that Kodiak has introduced to the autonomous trucking industry?
How has the acquisition of Otto by Uber influenced Don Burnette's vision for Kodiak Robotics?
What role does proprietary data play in the development and deployment of Kodiak's autonomous trucking solutions?
Don Burnette
Don Burnette, photo 1
Don Burnette, photo 2
Add to my network

Location

Mountain View, California, United States