Wayve Secures $1.05 Billion to Build Foundation Models for Autonomous Vehicles
British AI company Wayve raises over $1 billion in a Series C round led by SoftBank to develop embodied AI technology that helps vehicles see, think, and drive. The funding will support the launch of the first Embodied AI products for production vehicles.
British AI company Wayve raises $1.05 billion in a Series C funding round led by SoftBank Group, with major contributions from new investor NVIDIA and existing investor Microsoft. This massive investment aims to accelerate the development of embodied intelligence, a cutting-edge AI approach that integrates advanced technology into vehicles to transform how machines interact with and learn from real-world human behavior. The company views this as the next major frontier beyond generative AI and large language models.
Founded in 2017, Wayve pioneers the use of end-to-end deep learning autonomous driving systems on public roads. The company currently builds foundation models for autonomy that function similarly to a "GPT for driving," which empowers any vehicle to see, think, and drive through various environments. This foundational technology equips autonomous systems with the intelligence needed to confidently navigate unpredictable situations that do not follow strict rules.
This new financial backing supports Wayve as it develops and launches its first Embodied AI products specifically designed for production vehicles. As Wayve's core AI model advances, these products allow automotive manufacturers to efficiently upgrade their cars from L2+ assisted driving all the way to L4 automated driving. Ultimately, this innovation holds tremendous potential to significantly enhance both the safety and usability of autonomous driving systems worldwide.