Autonomous A2Z, a Korean autonomous driving startup, has climbed to 7th place in Guidehouse‘s 2025 Automated Driving Systems Leaderboard—its best showing yet in the prestigious global rankings.

Guidehouse, a $6.5 billion USD (8 trillion KRW) global consulting firm spun off from PwC’s public and consulting division, has published the world’s only comprehensive autonomous driving leaderboard annually since 2015. A2Z’s trajectory tells a compelling story: after breaking into the rankings at 13th in 2023, the company jumped to 11th in 2024 and now sits at 7th—making it the only Korean firm to crack the list three years running. The steady climb cements A2Z’s position as Korea’s autonomous driving frontrunner on the global stage.

The leaderboard evaluates companies on two fronts: Strategy (vision, market approach, partnerships, production, technology, and global reach) and Execution (sales, product performance, quality, portfolio, pricing, and sustainability). This year’s assessment sharpened its focus on geographic reach and pricing—essentially stress-testing whether companies can survive in an industry that burns through capital at an astronomical rate. Chinese firms and U.S.-based Zoox didn’t make the cut due to limited data access.

A2Z punched above its weight in the Strategy category, landing at 5th overall—the highest score among Contenders and behind only the four companies classified as Leaders. The company dominated three key areas: Production Strategy, Technology, and Geographic Reach.

What caught Guidehouse’s attention? A2Z’s laser focus on public transportation—a strategy perfectly suited to Korea’s market—combined with genuine operating experience through government partnerships and clear potential for global expansion. 

The company’s APEC 2025 Summit deployment stood out as a particularly impressive milestone. Guidehouse also noted A2Z’s autonomous driving trials in government districts, its ROii Level 4 vehicle (built with 96% domestic components), competitive pricing that positions it as a viable alternative to Chinese players, and near-term commercialization plans in Singapore, the UAE, and Japan.

“Our Level 4 autonomous vehicle, built entirely with domestic technology, proved itself on an international stage at the APEC Summit—and I believe that made a real difference in this evaluation,” said Ji-hyeong Han, CEO of Autonomous A2Z. 

“We’re grateful for the support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and our partner agencies. Looking ahead, we’ll use the upcoming large-scale autonomous driving testbed city projects to scale our operations and sharpen our technology, helping Korea achieve its goal of becoming a top-three AI power.”