(Bloomberg) -- Robocar network startup Glydways Inc. won the backing of OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman and Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. to fuel a bid to expand in Southeast Asia.

The South San Francisco-based maker of autonomous vehicles and infrastructure raised a total $76 million from Altman’s Apollo Projects and a group of new investors that includes Suzuki, Mitsui Chemicals Inc. and oil refinery operator Eneos Holdings Inc. The sum includes a previously disclosed investment from Bill Gates’s venture fund and Khosla Ventures.

The Series B round values Glydways, which is building a robocar network in San Jose, at $350 million to $400 million, people familiar with the matter said. The seven-year-old company plans to kick off another fundraising round later this year to cover the cost of research and development and expand headcount, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.

The backing by Japanese manufacturers brings Glydways’ driverless cars and roads a step closer to reality. The company is setting up an office in Tokyo as early as this month and exploring manufacturing partnerships, including one with Suzuki, founder Mark Seeger said. The maker of small, low-cost cars is an ideal producer of the slim, four-person Glydcars, he said.

Teaming up with Japanese companies will be key to winning new business in crowded cities around Asia, such as those in Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, Seeger said in an interview. Japanese companies’ dedication to quality and safety, along with their market presence, is essential for the startup, he said. Suzuki’s joint venture in India, Maruti Suzuki Ltd., is the leading carmaker in the country.

“Suzuki believes that small things beat big things. And I love that,” Seeger said. “To us, Japan is the launching pad to the rest of the world, be it the Middle East — where I spend a lot of my time — or Asia Pacific.” 

“Glydways’ efforts help address both environment and traffic issues,” a Mitsui Chemical representative said, confirming its investment. An Eneos representative said the oil refiner will contribute to Glydways’ progress by “synergizing our energy infrastructure and car solution infrastructure.” A Suzuki representative declined to comment. Apollo Projects didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The startup is proposing networks of narrow roads where its driverless vehicles move on demand and clock an average speed of 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour, conveying users to their destinations without stops.

Glydways, which started off with an early $5 million investment from Japanese used-car dealer Heiwa Auto Co., is scheduled to begin ferrying passengers between San Jose Mineta International Airport and the city’s central Diridon Station as early as 2028. 

While Glydcars only need 1/10 of the real estate required for building train tracks, one of the biggest challenges is securing the land in crowded, metropolitan areas to build new roads and stations.

“If we’re successful, a multi-trillion dollar industry will completely change,” said Seeger, referring to how people get from one point to another every day. “It either really works or it really doesn’t. If it really works, then we have over 4,000 cities that are in urgent need of mobility that we must go to.”

--With assistance from Supriya Singh and Shirin Ghaffary.

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