PlusAI merger gains SEC S-4; Churchill IX sets Feb vote

Regulatory clearance for the plusai merger moves the autonomous trucking software company closer to its planned public markets debut in the United States.

S-4 for PlusAI and Churchill Capital Corp IX declared effective

Plus Automation, Inc. (“PlusAI”) announced that its registration statement on Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its proposed business combination with Churchill Capital Corp IX was declared effective by the SEC on January 12, 2026. This milestone marks a key regulatory step toward closing the previously disclosed merger between PlusAI and Churchill Capital Corp IX (“Churchill IX”), which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker CCIX. Moreover, the effective S-4 clears the way for Churchill IX shareholders to formally vote on the deal.

Churchill IX has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting for February 3, 2026 to seek shareholder approval for the proposed business combination and related matters. The date sets a clear timeline for the transaction, which aims to bring an AI-native autonomous trucking software specialist to the public markets. However, completion of the deal remains subject to shareholder and other customary closing conditions.

PlusAI’s AI-native virtual driver platform and SuperDrive

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2016, PlusAI positions itself as a differentiated leader in software for autonomous trucks, built from the ground up as an AI-native virtual driver company. Instead of traditional hand-coded autonomy stacks, PlusAI has deployed advanced AI models trained on more than six million miles of real-world operations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. That said, the company continues to expand its dataset as it scales pilots and development programs with major partners.

This extensive dataset, together with proprietary foundation models and a highly optimized in-vehicle neural architecture, underpins SuperDrive™, PlusAI’s flagship virtual driver. The system is designed to generalize across routes, geographies, and vehicle platforms, enabling consistent behavior for a wide range of use cases. Moreover, SuperDrive targets commercial on-highway heavy-duty trucking, where operating conditions demand high reliability and repeatability.

The SuperDrive platform combines advanced perception, prediction, and planning intelligence with multilayered safety and redundancy. It is specifically tailored to support reliable, commercial-scale Level 4 operation for heavy-duty trucks. PlusAI is partnering with leading global truck OEMs, including TRATON GROUP (International, Scania, and MAN), IVECO, and Hyundai, to pursue a scalable deployment model. As a result, the company aims to enable large-scale adoption of autonomous trucks by fleet operators worldwide.

Progress toward 2027 SuperDrive commercial launch

Since announcing the proposed business combination with Churchill IX, PlusAI has continued to advance its autonomy programs and prepare for the planned 2027 commercial launch of SuperDrive™-enabled factory-built autonomous trucks. The company highlighted a series of achievements that it believes de-risk that roadmap and strengthen its position with customers. However, real-world validation and regulatory alignment will remain critical in the coming years.

On performance, PlusAI reported material progress in key autonomous metrics during 2025. Through the second half of 2025, the company’s Safety Case Readiness (SCR) reached 90.1%, its Autonomous Miles Percentage (AMP) was 99.2%, and Remote Assistance Free Trips (RAFT) increased to 79.0%. These figures compare with 86.1%, 98.6%, and 76.2%, respectively, in the first half of 2025. Moreover, the improvements suggest greater system robustness across a growing range of scenarios.

Customer fleet trials and NVIDIA-powered development

PlusAI and International, a TRATON-owned brand, initiated customer fleet trials in Texas along the I-35 corridor between Laredo and Dallas. The program deploys next-generation tractors equipped with factory-installed sensors, onboard compute, and the latest release of PlusAI’s SuperDrive autonomous driving software. That said, these routes also serve as real-world testbeds to evaluate operational efficiency, safety performance, and driverless readiness under commercial conditions.

In parallel, International and PlusAI are accelerating Level 4 autonomy development using the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Hyperion platform. This hardware and software stack provides high-performance compute, sensor processing, and system architecture capabilities required for scalable, production-grade autonomous trucking. Moreover, leveraging NVIDIA’s ecosystem is expected to streamline integration for OEM partners and support future over-the-air software enhancements.

Driverless safety validation and Southern Europe deployment

As part of its safety validation program, PlusAI completed a series of driverless safety-maneuver tests using International trucks equipped with SuperDrive. The demonstrations covered autonomous fallback procedures, emergency responses, and complex edge-case handling with no driver in the cab and no remote intervention. However, further testing and regulatory scrutiny will likely continue before broad driverless deployment is authorized.

PlusAI also expanded its partnership with IVECO to launch what it describes as Southern Europe’s first heavy-duty autonomous trucking program. In collaboration with Spanish logistics operator Sesé and the Government of Aragon, trucks equipped with Level 4 Autonomous Driving Systems will operate on freight routes between Madrid and Zaragoza, a corridor of approximately 300 km (184 miles). Moreover, this initiative is expected to provide European regulators and shippers with early data on cross-regional autonomous freight operations.

Post-merger structure and Nasdaq listing plans

Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will operate under the name “PlusAI” and is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the proposed ticker symbol “PLS”. For investors following the plusai merger, this would mark the transition from a private Silicon Valley startup into a publicly traded autonomous trucking software platform. However, timing and final terms will depend on the shareholder vote and remaining regulatory and closing conditions.

PlusAI describes itself as an artificial intelligence company pioneering AI-based virtual driver software for factory-built autonomous trucks. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with operations in the United States and Europe, the company was named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Moreover, PlusAI continues to position its technology as a horizontal software layer that can power multiple OEMs and logistics operators.

Partner ecosystem and transaction background

Partners including TRATON GROUP’s Scania, MAN, and International brands, Hyundai Motor Company, Iveco Group, Bosch, and DSV are working with PlusAI to accelerate the deployment of next-generation autonomous trucks. These collaborations span hardware integration, fleet pilots, and logistics optimization. That said, the pace of commercial rollout will likely differ across regions, depending on infrastructure, regulation, and customer adoption.

PlusAI announced in June 2025 that it planned to go public via a merger with Churchill Capital Corp IX (Nasdaq: CCIX). The SPAC, formed as a blank check company, was created to pursue a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Moreover, Churchill IX kept a broad mandate, allowing it to target any business or industry for its initial combination.

Churchill Capital Corp IX is now focused on completing its transaction with PlusAI and transitioning the combined business to the public markets. With the S-4 declared effective and a February 3, 2026 shareholder meeting scheduled, the process has moved into its final approval stages. However, until the vote is concluded and closing conditions are met, the transaction remains pending.

In summary, SEC effectiveness of the S-4, improving autonomy metrics, expanding trials in the U.S. and Southern Europe, and a growing OEM ecosystem all position PlusAI for a potential Nasdaq debut as a dedicated autonomous trucking software company.