On-demand ride company Addison Lee has reportedly announced a partnership with Oxbotica, a self-driving startup, aimed at developing autonomous vehicles that can be integrated with London’s existing transport infrastructure and get them in service by 2021. Apparently, Oxbotica was the first company to start a self-driving car test on a UK road, prompting Addison Lee to work with the startup, which is a spin-out from Oxford University.

Andy Boland, CEO of Addison Lee, stated that Oxbotica has been impressive with the way it has built its technology and the way it is already provisioning. He said that Oxbotica has the most suited tangible capability and Addison Lee also likes the business model of Oxbotica, which stretches across a wide range of other industry applications, besides just car or ride share.

Creating and building services together, without the changing priorities and dependencies of an OEM, could result in having a bit more control between the two companies, Boland further added. He did not disclose any financial details regarding the deal. Oxbotica CEO Graeme Smith said that this deal represents a major step towards brining autonomous vehicles into mainstream use on London streets and eventually, across the UK and beyond.

Partnering with Addison Lee indicates another milestone achieved for commercial deployment of Oxbotica’s integrated autonomous vehicle, along with the fleet management software systems, in complex urban transport application, Smith was quoted saying. Both the companies would be taking a big step to deliver the future of mobility.

The self-driving efforts from Addison Lee are currently financed off its own balance sheet as the company is unfashionably profitable. The company is wholly owned by the Private equity firm Carlyle Group and is not expected to face problems with future funding, if required. However, industry experts claim that it might need to look for funding when the company gets closer to a commercial launch.