SoftBank Group Corp.’s giant tech fund is investing almost $1 billion in a robotic-delivery vehicle startup, a hefty injection of capital that could help accelerate the race to put driverless vehicles on the road.

Nuro Inc. raised $940 million from SoftBank’s nearly $100 billion tech-focused Vision Fund, the startup said Monday. Founded in 2016, Nuro is now valued by investors at $2.7 billion.

The Mountain View, Calif., startup has plotted a different path in the development of driverless vehicles from its competitors, focused on creating its own electric vehicles specially made for in-town deliveries, rather than robot taxis or long-haul trucking.

Nuro’s vehicle is about half as wide as a compact sedan and shorter than most compact cars. The boxy vehicle has no side windows or room inside for people; instead, the two side doors open to reveal special compartments for groceries and other items. The vehicle navigates the roads using Nuro’s software along with sensors and lasers.

Nuro has built about six of these vehicles so far and plans to use the influx of money to create more. It is also testing software and hardware on about 50 standard cars on the roads in California, Texas and Arizona with safety operators behind the wheel by the end of this quarter.