*

May Mobility to integrate self-driving tech into Grab's

systems

*

Deal marks startup's third ride-hailing partnership

*

GrabMaps to aid May Mobility's Southeast Asia expansion

Oct 23 (Reuters) - May Mobility said on Thursday it has

secured a significant equity investment from Singapore-based

ridehailing firm Grab, as part of the robotaxi

startup's move to expand in Southeast Asia next year.

The startup's self-driving technology will be integrated

into Grab's fleet management, vehicle matching, and routing

systems.

The deal is a step toward the commercial deployment of

robotaxis globally, creating a blueprint for how self-driving

taxis are managed within existing ride-hailing platforms.

May Mobility declined to provide further details on Grab's

equity stake in the startup.

This is May Mobility's third partnership in the ride-hailing

industry, following its recent tie-up with Lyft ( LYFT ) to

launch self-driving cars in Atlanta, and an upcoming rollout

with Uber ( UBER ) in the United States.

May Mobility, which began commercial rides earlier this year

in the U.S. without the presence of a human driver, will

leverage GrabMaps - Grab's mapping technology - to study

Southeast Asian roads to ensure safe deployment.

GrabMaps uses artificial intelligence to process data from

Southeast Asian cities to deliver accurate hyperlocal maps that

are updated in real time.

In November 2023, May Mobility secured a 10 billion yen

($65.8 million) investment from Japan's NTT as part of

a push to advance autonomous driving. NTT also

announced plans to test self-driving buses and taxis with Toyota

Motor ( TM ) this year.

In September, Grab was selected by a Singaporean district to

operate autonomous shuttle service routes in the area, for which

the company has partnered with Chinese robotaxi firm WeRide ( WRD )

, expecting deployment early next year.

May Mobility currently uses modified Toyota Siennas for

smaller rides and high-capacity Italian Tecnobus autonomous

electric minibuses for higher-density routes.

($1 = 151.88 yen)