This isn't the largest capital injection Rivian has received this year. An Amazon-led round raised $700 million, while Ford poured $500 million into the company to help make a brand-new vehicle. It's still a large amount, though, and it shows how many in the tech and automotive worlds see Rivian as their great hope. It's a rare startup that both appears to have a realistic path to mainstream EV sales and the cutting edge technology needed to compete with heavyweights like Tesla. If all goes according to plan, it could offer a fast track to success for those companies that ride its coattails.