Robert Falck, the founder of electric and autonomous trucking startup Einride, is stepping down from the role of CEO as the company works toward scaling its technology, raising more funds, and exploring the possibility of an IPO.
Falck will transition to the role of executive chairman of the board where he will focus on Einride’s long-term strategy.
Einride’s CFO, Roozbeh Charli, will take over the role of chief executive effective immediately. The company said in a statement that Charli has helped build Einride’s operational infrastructure and commercial momentum across Europe and North America over the past five years.
Falck founded Einride, his seventh company, in 2016 with a mission to transform the carbon-emitting trucking industry. His background is diverse. In a previous life, he founded a nightclub guest list startup and also served as the director of manufacturing engineering assembly at Volvo GTO Powertrain.
Falck has spoken to TechCrunch at length about his goals for Einride to disrupt the freight industry — first with electric trucks, then with electric autonomous pods, which are purpose-built without a steering wheel or pedals for self-driving.
“After nearly a decade of building as CEO, it’s time to shift my focus to where I can create the most long-term value,” Falck said in a statement. “As executive chairman, I will focus on the overall company strategy, including ensuring that Einride can go public when we find the time is right.”
Charli said that he intends to further Falck’s mission and help the company scale responsibly beyond its current market. The company currently operates one of the largest fleets of heavy-duty electric trucks in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, servicing companies like PepsiCo, Carlsberg Sweden, DP World, and more.
Einride has raised $654.26 million to date, per PitchBook. The company last publicly announced its $500 million round in 2022. In an October conversation with TechCrunch, Falck said that the company would need to raise more working capital — another $100 million would put it “in a good path forward — to reach the scale necessary to hit profitability.
He also noted at the time that Einride hit roughly $5 billion in contracted revenue and was running at about $50 million annual recurring revenue for 2024.