Kodiak Robotics Rebrands as Kodiak AI, Debuts on Nasdaq with $2.5 Billion Valuation

Autonomous vehicle technology developer Kodiak Robotics is set to make its public market debut on September 25, 2025, under the new name Kodiak AI, Inc. The company will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "KDK" following its business combination with Ares Acquisition Corporation II (AACT), a special purpose acquisition company. The transaction values Kodiak at approximately $2.5 billion, marking a significant milestone for the autonomous trucking industry.

The merger successfully raised over $275 million in capital, including $145 million in Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) funding and approximately $62.9 million from AACT's trust cash. This substantial funding is intended to accelerate Kodiak AI's strategy to expand existing partnerships and broaden its customer base for its autonomous driving solutions. The move comes as the transportation industry grapples with safety risks, rising costs, and persistent driver shortages.

Don Burnette, Founder and CEO of Kodiak, emphasized the significance of the public listing, stating, "Going public with the support of our partners at AACT marks an important step in Kodiak’s journey to help transform how freight moves by providing our driverless solution to customers." He added that the Kodiak Driver is "already on the road, safely and reliably delivering freight every day for paying customers without a human in the cab," demonstrating that autonomy is "no longer a future promise but a reality today."

Kodiak AI's core offering is the "Kodiak Driver," an AI-powered autonomous driving system designed to integrate into existing fleets. The company operates on a Driver-as-a-Service model, where customers pay per-mile or per-vehicle licensing fees for driverless operations and ongoing support. Kodiak has achieved notable commercial milestones, including logging approximately 3 million on-road autonomous miles and over 3,000 paid driverless hours.

The company has partnered with Atlas Energy Solutions, which currently operates eight Kodiak Driver-powered driverless trucks and has placed an initial order for 100 vehicles. Kodiak has also delivered over 7,300 loads for major on-highway customers such as Maersk, IKEA, J.B. Hunt, and Bridgestone. This public listing positions Kodiak AI to further capitalize on the estimated $4+ trillion global freight market, leveraging both public capital and strategic investor alignment.