Which self-driving car companies raised capital?

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The autonomous driving sector has emerged from its funding winter with unprecedented momentum.

Self-driving car companies raised $9.06 billion in 2024 and are already at $3.5 billion through the first half of 2025, putting the industry on track to exceed last year's totals. The mega-rounds from Wayve ($1.05B), Cruise ($850M), and Applied Intuition ($600M) signal that investors are betting big on commercial-grade autonomous solutions rather than experimental prototypes.

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Which self-driving car companies secured major funding rounds in 2024 and 2025?

Wayve leads the pack with a massive $1.05 billion Series C round, making it Europe's largest autonomous vehicle funding deal to date.

Cruise raised $850 million directly from General Motors to continue its urban robotaxi operations. Applied Intuition secured $600 million in Series F funding, reaching a $15 billion valuation for its simulation and testing platforms.

Waabi closed a $200 million Series B round led by Khosla Ventures and Uber, focusing specifically on autonomous trucking applications. Nuro raised $106 million in Series E funding, though at a reduced valuation of $6 billion compared to previous rounds.

Stack AV, formed by ex-Argo AI engineers, reportedly secured around $1 billion from SoftBank to develop robotaxi solutions. The funding demonstrates investor confidence in teams with proven autonomous vehicle experience.

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What is the total capital raised across the autonomous driving industry in 2024 and 2025?

The autonomous driving sector raised $9.06 billion in venture capital during 2024, marking a significant recovery from earlier funding droughts.

Through the first half of 2025, startups have already secured $3.5 billion in funding. This pace puts the industry on track to match or exceed 2024's total by year-end, with projections suggesting $12-15 billion for the full year.

Alphabet's Waymo separately raised $5.6 billion in 2024, though this represents corporate funding rather than traditional venture capital. The combined funding across all autonomous vehicle initiatives exceeded $14 billion in 2024 when including corporate investments.

The funding surge represents a 40% increase compared to 2023 levels, driven primarily by mega-rounds rather than increased deal volume. Investors are concentrating capital on fewer, more mature companies with clearer paths to commercialization.

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Which companies received the largest funding rounds and what were the amounts?

Wayve's $1.05 billion Series C round stands as the largest single raise in the autonomous vehicle startup space for 2024-2025.

Cruise secured $850 million from General Motors, representing one of the largest corporate investments in the sector. Applied Intuition's $600 million Series F round reflects investor appetite for essential infrastructure platforms serving the entire industry.

Waabi's $200 million Series B round specifically targets the autonomous trucking market, while Nuro raised $106 million for last-mile delivery applications. These amounts reflect focused investment in specific use cases rather than general autonomous vehicle development.

The funding sizes indicate a shift toward companies with proven technology and clear commercial applications. Investors are moving away from early-stage bets toward companies demonstrating real-world deployments and revenue potential.

Who are the main venture capital firms and strategic investors backing these startups?

SoftBank emerges as the most active mega-round investor, backing both Wayve ($1.05B) and Stack AV (~$1B) with significant capital commitments.

Traditional venture firms like Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures continue their autonomous vehicle investments, while institutional investors including BlackRock, T. Rowe Price, and Fidelity provide growth-stage capital. Tiger Global and Greylock Partners remain active in later-stage rounds.

Strategic corporate investors include Microsoft and Nvidia (Wayve), General Motors (Cruise), and Uber (Waabi). These partnerships provide not just capital but also access to distribution channels, cloud infrastructure, and hardware platforms essential for scaling autonomous vehicle operations.

The investor mix reveals a preference for companies that can leverage existing corporate partnerships and infrastructure rather than building everything from scratch. Strategic alignment with major tech companies or automakers has become a key factor in securing large funding rounds.

Which technology areas within autonomous driving attract the most investment currently?

Simulation and edge-case training platforms command premium valuations, with Applied Intuition reaching $15 billion based on its testing infrastructure.

Robotaxi software and fleet management systems attract substantial funding, particularly for urban deployment capabilities. Companies like Cruise and Stack AV focus on the complex software needed to operate autonomous vehicle fleets safely in dense city environments.

Autonomous trucking solutions receive targeted investment from logistics-focused investors who understand the clear ROI potential. The sector benefits from more predictable highway driving conditions and immediate commercial applications in freight transport.

AI-driven perception systems using camera-only approaches gain traction as investors seek cost-effective alternatives to expensive LiDAR-based solutions. Last-mile delivery vehicles represent a niche but growing investment area with clear commercial deployment paths.

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What are the names and specializations of the funded startups?

Wayve specializes in deep-learning camera-only self-driving software, eliminating the need for expensive LiDAR systems through advanced AI perception.

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Which geographic markets show the most investment activity in autonomous driving?

The United States dominates funding activity, led by Silicon Valley, with significant clusters in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Austin for real-world testing.

The United Kingdom emerges as Europe's autonomous vehicle funding leader, primarily due to Wayve's record-breaking $1.05 billion raise in London. Canada gains prominence through Toronto-based Waabi's $200 million funding round, establishing the city as a growing autonomous vehicle hub.

India and China represent emerging markets with local startups like Euler Motors attracting regional investment for electric vehicle platforms with early autonomy integration. Baidu Apollo continues to receive funding in China's domestic market, though specific amounts remain undisclosed.

The geographic concentration reflects regulatory environments that support autonomous vehicle testing and deployment. Markets with clear testing frameworks and supportive policies attract more venture capital investment than regions with restrictive or unclear regulations.

Are major automakers and tech giants backing or acquiring autonomous vehicle startups?

General Motors leads corporate investment through its $850 million injection into Cruise, demonstrating continued commitment to autonomous vehicle development despite operational challenges.

Technology giants Microsoft and Nvidia participate as strategic investors in Wayve's mega-round, providing cloud computing and AI chip capabilities essential for training autonomous driving models. Intel maintains investments across multiple startups while developing specialized hardware for autonomous vehicle applications.

Uber's investment in Waabi represents a strategic bet on autonomous trucking to complement its ride-hailing and freight brokerage services. Tesla continues self-funding its Full Self-Driving capabilities and robotaxi initiatives rather than acquiring external startups.

The pattern shows established companies prefer strategic partnerships over outright acquisitions, allowing them to access autonomous vehicle technology while avoiding the risks of full integration. This approach enables faster deployment of autonomous capabilities across existing fleets and services.

What funding stages and valuations characterize the current investment landscape?

Late-stage funding dominates the autonomous vehicle investment landscape, with Series C and beyond rounds accounting for the majority of capital deployed.

Applied Intuition's $15 billion valuation at Series F stage demonstrates how simulation and infrastructure companies command premium valuations compared to vehicle developers. Wayve's estimated $7 billion valuation reflects investor confidence in software-first approaches to autonomous driving.

Cruise maintains its $30 billion-plus valuation despite operational setbacks, supported by General Motors' continued investment. Nuro's reduced valuation of $6 billion in its latest Series E round illustrates how market conditions have reset expectations for delivery-focused autonomous vehicle companies.

The funding stages indicate a mature market where investors focus on proven technology and clear commercialization paths rather than early-stage research and development. Companies raising large rounds typically demonstrate operational capabilities and revenue generation rather than just technological potential.

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What R&D and innovation breakthroughs are these investments financing?

Edge-case simulation and synthetic data generation receive significant funding as companies work to accelerate safety validation without requiring millions of real-world miles.

LiDAR-free perception systems using advanced AI and camera fusion attract investment from companies seeking to reduce hardware costs while maintaining safety standards. Scalable autonomous vehicle operating systems for managing fleets of trucks and taxis represent another major R&D focus area.

Teleoperation and remote assistance capabilities receive funding to handle complex scenarios that full autonomy cannot yet manage. Autonomy-as-a-Service platforms gain investment as companies develop ways to deploy autonomous capabilities without requiring customers to purchase expensive hardware.

The R&D investments focus on practical solutions to current deployment challenges rather than fundamental research into autonomous vehicle capabilities. Companies prioritize technologies that enable immediate commercial applications over long-term research projects.

Which emerging players and markets should investors monitor?

Stack AV represents the most significant emerging player, leveraging the ex-Argo AI team's experience with SoftBank's substantial backing to develop robotaxi solutions.

Gatik focuses on the underserved middle-mile logistics market, operating autonomous box trucks between distribution centers rather than competing in crowded urban robotaxi markets. Euler Motors in India combines electric vehicle powertrains with early autonomy integration, targeting the rapidly growing Indian mobility market.

African markets show early promise with companies like Moove raising substantial funding for autonomous vehicle expansion, though deployment timelines remain longer-term. The autonomous vehicle supply chain presents opportunities for component manufacturers and software providers serving multiple vehicle developers.

Emerging markets offer potential for leapfrog adoption of autonomous vehicle technology, particularly in regions with less established transportation infrastructure. Investors should monitor regulatory developments in these markets as policy changes can rapidly create new investment opportunities.

What funding trends and expectations are shaping up for 2026?

Continued mega-rounds exceeding $500 million are expected as synthetic data and simulation platforms prove critical for safety validation and regulatory approval.

The shift toward commercial deployments in logistics and ride-hailing will drive funding toward companies with proven operational capabilities rather than pure technology development. Autonomy-as-a-Service models will gain traction as a way to reduce capital expenditure barriers for fleet operators considering autonomous vehicle adoption.

Regulatory momentum in the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of the European Union will enable urban robotaxi pilots, attracting investment toward companies ready for immediate deployment. Industry projections suggest $12-15 billion in autonomous vehicle funding for 2025, with further acceleration expected in 2026.

Enterprise fleet deployments will drive the next wave of funding as companies demonstrate clear return on investment in specific use cases. The focus will shift from proving autonomous vehicle technology works to scaling profitable commercial operations across multiple markets and applications.

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Conclusion

Sources

1. Ainad - Autonomous Driving Startups Funding
2. The Robot Report - Autonomous Vehicles Funding Boom
3. Axios - Applied Intuition $15 Billion Valuation
4. Bloomberg - Nuro Raises $106 Million
5. Global Venturing - Autonomous Driving Investment
6. CNBC - Waymo $5.6 Billion Funding Round
7. Reuters - Applied Intuition Latest Fund Raise
8. Reuters - Nuro $6 Billion Valuation