Japanese car maker Toyota is to invest more than $ billion in a new venture that will focus on developing technology for self - driving cars . The Toyota Research Institute Advanced Development project will involve around 1,000 staff . “This company’s mission is to accelerate software development in a more effective and disruptive way, by augmenting the Toyota Group’s capability through the hiring of world-class software engineers,” James Kuffner, who will lead the venture, said in a statement. Denso and Aisin Corporation will each take a 5 % stake . Toyota 's US - based Research Institute has previously collaborated with Google and Uber , and in February its venture capital unit co - led an $ 11.5 m seed funding round for automated shuttle ##s start - up May ##rail .
Japanese car maker Toyota is to invest more than $ billion in a new venture that will focus on developing technology for self - driving cars . The Toyota Research Institute Advanced Development project will involve around 1,000 staff . Denso and Aisin Corporation will each take a 5 % stake . Toyota 's US - based Research Institute has previously collaborated with Google and Uber , and in February its venture capital unit co - led an $ 11.5 m seed funding round for automated shuttle ##s start - up May ##rail .