Wayve and Uber partner to accelerate autonomous driving future

Wayve, a startup specialising in Embodied AI for autonomous driving, has announced a strategic partnership with Uber, the global mobility and delivery platform.

As part of this partnership, Uber has committed to a strategic investment in Wayve, expanding on the startup's previously declared Series C funding round.

With the backing and investment from Uber, Wayve plans to expedite its collaboration with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to enhance consumer vehicles with Level 2+ advanced driver assistance and Level 3 automated driving capabilities. The partnership also aims to push forward the development of Level 4 autonomous vehicles, designed for future deployment on Uber's platform.

Unlike conventional autonomous vehicle approaches, Wayve focuses on a mapless, end-to-end AI system, enabling vehicles to operate without the constraints of geofenced areas. The collaboration envisions the deployment of Wayve-powered self-driving vehicles across multiple markets within the Uber network, potentially offering this advanced technology to Uber's extensive user base of over 150 million monthly global customers.

Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve: “Wayve is building a ‘general purpose’ driving Al that can power all levels of driving automation in any type of vehicle, anywhere in the world. I’m excited to be teaming up with Uber, the largest mobility network in the world, to massively ramp up our AI’s fleet learning, ensuring our AV technology is safe and ready for global deployment across Uber’s network. Together, we’re excited to work with Automotive OEMs to bring autonomous driving technologies to consumers sooner.”

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber: “Uber and Wayve share a vision of reimagining mobility for the better. Wayve’s advanced Embodied AI approach holds a ton of promise as we work towards a world where modern vehicles are shared, electric and autonomous. We’re thrilled to bring Wayve on as a partner to work alongside automakers as we continue to build out Uber as the best network for self-driving vehicles.”