Self-driving truck startup Plus is in advanced talks with a few special purpose acquisition companies for a merger, as it seeks to bankroll its expansion in the autonomous driving industry, according to people familiar with the matter.

Full Truck Alliance has raised $1.7 billion from investors including SoftBank Group Corp. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., a major cash infusion for the Uber-like trucking startup ahead of a potential initial public offering.

SenseTime Group Ltd., the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence startup, plans to sustain growth by expanding globally and diving deeper into arenas from autonomous cars to health care.

Full Truck Alliance Group, China’s biggest app for Uber-like truck services, raised $1.9 billion in funding to fuel its expansion, sources familiar with the matter said.

China’s Tencent Holdings has developed its own autonomous driving system, according to people familiar with the matter, becoming the latest technology player to dive into a crowded field that could become a $42 billion industry.

Wang Gang, a backer of Yunmanman and an angel investor in ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, is the top candidate to become CEO if the companies merge, officials said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

Harassing phone calls, spam text messages and police investigations — the fight between China’s Uber-for-trucks apps is getting nasty.

In 2001, three Chinese men named Richard enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School before heading to high-flying careers as bankers and dealmakers. More than 15 years later, they’ve teamed up to stake their future on building an Uber-like service for China's convoluted trucking industry.

Truck Alliance Inc., an Uber-type service for trucks in China known as Huochebang, is near an agreement to raise about $156 million, people familiar with the matter said.

Truck Alliance Inc., an Uber-type service for trucks known in China as Huochebang, raised about $115 million in a financing round that valued the startup at $1 billion.