What Happened
British self-driving car firm Wayve has successfully secured £1.1 billion in funding, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards deploying robotaxis on UK roads. This investment round was backed by major tech companies including Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Uber, as well as global automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Stellantis.
Why It Matters
This funding represents a pivotal shift for Wayve from research-focused development to large-scale commercial deployment of its AI-powered driving technology. The company plans to initiate commercial robotaxi trials in London in 2026, in partnership with Uber. Furthermore, Wayve aims to introduce its “supervised autonomy” software into consumer vehicles starting in 2027, which will allow cars to operate with a level of autonomy under driver supervision.
What’s Next
Wayve’s strategy includes licensing its AI Driver technology directly to manufacturers, enabling them to customize it for various vehicle models. The firm has already demonstrated its capability by driving in over 500 cities worldwide without prior city-specific tuning. With the recent funding, Wayve is positioned to accelerate its global expansion and enhance its autonomous driving solutions.
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