Wayve raises $1.2B from Nvidia, Uber, three automakers
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- Wayve raised $1.2 billion in its latest round, with the total potentially reaching $1.5 billion through an additional $300 million from Uber tied to deploying robotaxis starting in London
- The round values Wayve at $8.6 billion and drew three automakers—Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Stellantis—all of which plan to integrate the startup's self-driving software
- Nvidia has had a close development relationship with Wayve since 2018; the startup's Gen 3 platform runs on Nvidia's Drive AGX Thor in-vehicle compute kit and will support Level 4 driverless features on city streets and highways
- Wayve's technology uses an end-to-end neural network that requires no high-definition maps and runs on any sensor or chip, positioning the company as a 'contrarian' third path distinct from Waymo (which operates its own robotaxis) and Tesla (which bundles its own software with its vehicles)
- Nissan said it will use Wayve's software in its ADAS starting in 2027, while Uber plans commercial trials later this year and deployment across more than 10 markets, per Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
- The round was led by Eclipse, Balderton, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with new investors including Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Baillie Gifford, British Business Bank, Icehouse Ventures, and Schroders Capital
Why it matters: Wayve's $1.2B round at an $8.6B valuation bets that selling 'agnostic' self-driving software to any OEM—a third path distinct from Waymo's operator model and Tesla's vertically integrated stack—captures the largest market. With Nissan committing to a 2027 production integration and Uber pledging 10+ market rollouts, Wayve now has both a major automaker and a global ride-hail network lined up to commercialize the platform.
