Wayve

Wayve has secured a landmark $1.5 billion fundraising round led by SoftBank, with participation from Microsoft, NVIDIA, Uber, and major automotive groups including Nissan, Stellantis, and Mercedes-Benz. The British Business Bank invested £25 million as part of the round, valuing the Cambridge-founded company at $8.6 billion, the highest valuation achieved by a UK AI start-up.

Summary of transaction details:

• Value: $1.5 billion (approximately £1.2 billion)
• Sector: DeepTech & AI
• Advisor: Not specified
• Key Entities: Wayve (target), SoftBank (lead investor), British Business Bank, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Uber, Nissan, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz
• Location: UK (Cambridge)

Note: This Growth Equity round represents a strategic investment in autonomous driving technology, with the UK government seeking to anchor high-growth technology firms domestically while Wayve transitions from technology risk to scale-up risk ahead of planned 2026 robotaxi trials.