- Companies
- Parallel Systems
Parallel Systems Funding, Investors & Competitors
Parallel Systems has raised $191M across 4 funding rounds, most recently a $100M Series C in October 2026.
Last Parallel Systems funding round
$100M
Series C · Oct 2026
Cumulative funding Parallel Systems raised
$191M
across 4 funding rounds
Key investors in Parallel Systems
Congruent Ventures
Anthos Capital
Riot Ventures
Collaborative Fund
Embark Ventures
AVP
Hillspire
Agility Global
About Parallel Systems
Parallel Systems is an Anaheim, California-headquartered developer of battery-electric autonomous railcars for short-haul freight. Its vehicles integrate with existing U.S. rail networks to transport containers and trailers on routes under 1,000 miles, reducing truck traffic and emissions. Parallel Systems has secured contracts with Class I railroads for pilot deployments.
Founded
2020
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales
Parallel Systems Funding History
Parallel Systems has raised a total of $191M across 4 funding rounds.
Parallel Systems' first fundraising round was a $4M seed round in June 2020. The most recent completed round was a $100M Series C in October 2026.
Parallel Systems funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Series C | AVP (lead); Riot Ventures; Cobalt Capital; Anthos Capital; Hillspire; Agility Global; Collaborative Fund; Congruent Ventures | $100M | AVP led a $100 million Series C in Parallel Systems, an autonomous rail company based in Los Angeles, with participation from Hillspire, Agility Global, Cobalt Capital, Anthos Capital, Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures and Collaborative Fund, as reported on 7 October 2026. The round pushes the company's total funding past $200 million, according to the report. The company had earlier closed a Series B round in April 2025, the same month it announced a first commercial pilot following Federal Railroad Administration approval. Parallel develops the Panther, a battery-electric autonomous rail vehicle that hauls several tons of freight up to 500 miles without an operator, and its website says the technology is meant to convert freight from truck to rail. The company has been testing on 160 miles of track near the Port of Savannah in Georgia. In September 2026 the company and Agility agreed to bring Parallel's platform to the GCC and EMEA. Parallel Systems was founded in 2020 by former SpaceX avionics engineers and has its office in Los Angeles. |
| Apr 2025 | Series B | Anthos Capital (lead); Riot Ventures; Collaborative Fund; Congruent Ventures | $38M | Parallel Systems, a Los Angeles-based startup founded in 2020 by former SpaceX engineers including CEO Matt Soule, develops an autonomous battery-electric rail system to modernize freight rail. The technology enables smaller, flexible platoons of 10-30 electric railcars that operate without traditional couplings, aiming to decongest roadways, reduce shipping costs, cut pollution, and create high-skilled jobs by expanding railroads into shorter-route transportation. On April 14, 2025, Parallel Systems raised $38 million in a Series B funding round led by Anthos Capital, with participation from Collaborative Fund, Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures, and others. This brought the company's total funding to approximately $100 million, including prior rounds such as a $49.55 million Series A in 2023 and $3.6 million in seed funding. The new capital supports commercialization efforts with railroad partners in the U.S. and Australia. A key milestone was securing Federal Railroad Administration approval to deploy its railcars on a 160-mile stretch across two Georgia railroads, from the Port of Savannah to distribution sites, for its first commercial pilot launching in April 2025, with full commercialization targeted for 2026. The company, with around 24 employees at the time of earlier funding, plans to hire heavily in software and advance its battery-electric rail vehicle prototypes tested on closed tracks in California. Investors highlighted Parallel's regulatory progress as a competitive moat in the rail industry. The firm has interest from global partners but focuses initially on the U.S. and Australia, positioning itself to address short-haul logistics more efficiently and sustainably than trucking or traditional rail amid rising demand for greener freight solutions. |
| Jan 2022 | Series A | Anthos Capital (lead); Riot Ventures; Embark Ventures; Congruent Ventures | $50M | - |
| Jun 2020 | Seed | Congruent Ventures (lead); Embark Ventures | $4M | Parallel Systems develops autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles to decarbonize and automate rail freight, founded in January 2020 by former SpaceX engineers Matt Soule, John Howard, and Ben Stabler. The company aims to enable railroads to shift freight from the $700 billion U.S. trucking industry to rail using electrified, single-container or double-stacked vehicles on existing infrastructure. Congruent Ventures and Embark Ventures participated in early funding for Parallel Systems, a deep tech startup in autonomous zero-emissions freight transportation. Parallel Systems emerged from stealth in January 2022 with a Series A round of $49.55 million led by Anthos Capital, including Congruent Ventures, Embark Ventures, and Riot Ventures, bringing total funding to $53.15 million at that point. The funds supported building a fleet of rail vehicles, advanced testing, and team growth. Later rounds included a $38 million Series B led by Anthos Capital with returning investors Congruent Ventures and Embark Ventures. Cumulative funding reached $92 million across three rounds by available records. |
Who has invested in Parallel Systems?
9 investors have backed Parallel Systems across its funding rounds, including Congruent Ventures, Anthos Capital, Riot Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Embark Ventures and AVP.
Lead investors include AVP, Anthos Capital and Congruent Ventures.
Parallel Systems Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lead | Jun 2020 | ||
| 3 | Participant | Jan 2022 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Jan 2022 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Jun 2020 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Apr 2025 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2026 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Oct 2026 | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 9 Parallel Systems investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialParallel Systems Competitors
Parallel Systems competitors include listed companies like Tesla, XPENG, Joby Aviation and Ninebot, and private ones like SK on and GAC Aion.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $95B | $10B | $1.4T | 13.1x | ||
| Publicly listed | $12B | $157M | $9.5B | 0.9x | ||
| Publicly listed | $53M | ($932M) | $6B | 36.8x | ||
| Publicly listed | $3.2B | $337M | $3.8B | 0.6x | ||
| Private | $5.8B | - | $17B | 2.9x | ||
| Private | $2.5B | - | $15B | 6.0x |
Parallel Systems Public Comps
Parallel Systems is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Tesla, Siemens, CATL, Schneider Electric, ABB, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, BYD, Emerson Electric and Johnson Controls.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $95B | $10B | 14.6x | 13.1x | 137.6x | 93.2x | |||
| $88B | $15B | 3.0x | 2.8x | 18.0x | 15.5x | |||
| $64B | $16B | 2.3x | 1.7x | 9.2x | 7.8x | |||
| $45B | $9.2B | 3.7x | 3.4x | 18.2x | 15.5x | |||
| $33B | $6.9B | 4.5x | 4.0x | 21.8x | 18.2x | |||
| $67B | $11B | 1.8x | 1.7x | 11.3x | 10.7x | |||
| $120B | $8.5B | 1.2x | 1.2x | 17.5x | 21.4x | |||
| $121B | $18B | 0.9x | 0.9x | 6.4x | 5.9x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Parallel Systems competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Parallel Systems
| When was Parallel Systems founded? | Parallel Systems was founded in 2020. |
| Where is Parallel Systems headquartered? | Parallel Systems is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States. |
| Is Parallel Systems publicly listed? | No, Parallel Systems is a private, VC-backed company. |
| How much funding has Parallel Systems raised? | Parallel Systems has raised $191M across 4 funding rounds. |
| What was Parallel Systems' last funding round? | Parallel Systems' last funding round was a $100M Series C in October 2026, led by AVP. |
| Who are Parallel Systems' investors? | Parallel Systems' investors include Congruent Ventures, Riot Ventures, Anthos Capital, Embark Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Cobalt Capital, AVP, Hillspire and Agility Global. |
| Which companies are comparable to Parallel Systems? | Companies comparable to Parallel Systems include Tesla, XPENG, Joby Aviation, Ninebot, SK on and GAC Aion. |
See companies similar to Parallel Systems
Start Your
Free Trial Today
Try Multiples for free for 3 days. Got questions or need a demo? Schedule a call with us below.




