Xiaodi Hou

Xiaodi Hou is a serial entrepreneur in autonomous trucking, best known as co-founder and former CTO of TuSimple, which became what 线性资本 described as "the world's first autonomous-driving stock" with a market cap that once exceeded $7 billion . After TuSimple's collapse in valuation and his departure, he founded Bot Auto in July 2023, again targeting L4 autonomous trucks . In October 2024, Bot Auto closed a $20 million Pre-A round co-led by Linear Capital , and by April 2026, Hou led the company to complete what 线性资本 called America's first fully driverless truck delivery — with no driver, no remote operator, and no escort vehicles . Hou holds a bachelor's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a PhD from Caltech, and was previously known in academic circles as a "genius少年" for a five-line paper at a top conference . In his own framing, he has shifted from "technology-first" to "operations-first," telling 线性资本 that operational efficiency is the lifeline of autonomous driving and that he now seeks "true believers" over purely technical talent .