Nvidia backs self-driving firm Wayve as it hits $8.6 billion valuation
Autonomous driving company Wayve has reached an $8.6 billion valuation after raising new funding. Nvidia, Microsoft And Uber.
The $1.2 billion Series D round was led by Eclipse, Balderton and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and also included automakers Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Stellantis.
Uber will invest up to an additional $300 million in milestone capital.
“We are building a fully addressable market that encompasses every vehicle that moves,” Wayve CEO Alex Kendall said in a statement.
“This investment accelerates our path to widespread commercial deployment and positions us to build the autonomy layer that will power any vehicle, anywhere,” he added.
Founded in 2017, UK-based Wayve develops autonomous driving software and artificial intelligence models and has become one of Europe’s most valuable startups. The company had raised more than $1 billion before this round.
Wayve signed a partnership with Nissan in 2025 to integrate its artificial intelligence into the company’s driver assistance systems, and vehicles incorporating the technology will be available starting in 2027.
The startup also has plans to launch public robotaxi trials with Uber in 2026, starting in London, before a broader rollout to more than 10 markets globally, Wayve said.
While technology companies have been promising autonomous driving for years, the industry has faced technical and regulatory hurdles. Level 5 automation, where cars can drive themselves anywhere without needing humans in the loop, has remained elusive.
However, recent developments in artificial intelligence have led to renewed hopes in the sector.
On Tuesday, Alphabet-owned Waymo announced it was opening its robotaxi service to some public travelers in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is increasingly touting the company’s credentials as an autonomous mobility leader, and Amazon’s Zoox is launching public vehicles in 2025.
