Waymo seeking about US$16 billion near US$110 billion valuation

[SAN FRANCISCO] Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, is aiming to raise about US$16 billion in a financing round that would value the unit at nearly US$110 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The parent company would provide about US$13 billion to the robotaxi firm, while the rest would come from others, including new investors Sequoia Capital, DST Global and Dragoneer Investment Group, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Mubadala Capital is also investing in the round, some of the sources said.

Waymo could close the funding round in February, the sources said. The prior investment round, in October 2024, valued the company above US$45 billion and was led by Alphabet, which also owns Google.

“While we don’t comment on private financial matters, our trajectory is clear: With over 20 million trips completed, we are focused on the safety-led operational excellence and technological leadership required to meet the vast demand for autonomous mobility,” Waymo said.

Google could not immediately be reached for comment. Dragoneer, Sequoia and DST did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mubadala declined to comment.

Waymo operates fully autonomous ride-hailing, without a human safety monitor, and charges a fare for passengers in half a dozen US cities. That includes the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and rides through Uber Technologies’ app in Austin and Atlanta. The startup plans to aggressively expand the commercial service this year to many more American cities, as well as to the UK.

SEE ALSO

Waymos froze, blocked traffic during San Francisco power outage

Waymo in talks to raise billions at over US$100 billion valuation: report

DECODING ASIA

Navigate Asia in
a new global order

Get the insights delivered to your inbox.

There’s a large pool of companies chasing the market for ridehailing using fleets of cars that drive themselves. Tesla plans its own service and has limited autonomous operations, with no safety monitor, in Austin. Amazon.com’s Zoox has a purpose-built robotaxi with no driver controls operating on the Las Vegas strip and testing in other cities near San Francisco.

Bloomberg reported in December that Waymo was seeking to raise US$15 billion at a more than US$100 billion valuation. BLOOMBERG