Uber partners with Wayve to accelerate autonomous vehicle technology

Uber has announced a strategic partnership with Wayve, a company at the forefront of Embodied AI for self-driving vehicles. This collaboration marks Uber's latest move in the race to develop autonomous vehicle technology, a key area of interest for the ride-hailing giant.

As part of the partnership, Uber has made a strategic investment in Wayve, extending the company's ongoing Series C fundraising efforts. This additional backing will bolster Wayve's mission to enhance consumer vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems, with the goal of progressing from Level 2+ to Level 3 automated driving capabilities.

Wayve's approach stands out in the autonomous vehicle sector due to its mapless, end-to-end AI technology. Unlike traditional methods that rely on detailed maps and geofencing, Wayve's solution aims to allow vehicles to navigate without such constraints. This technology promises to make automated driving more flexible and scalable across various global markets.

The partnership's long-term vision includes deploying Wayve-powered self-driving vehicles on Uber’s platform. With over 150 million monthly users worldwide, Uber’s network offers a significant opportunity for Wayve’s technology to reach a broad audience.

This collaboration could see Uber integrating Level 4 autonomous vehicles into its service in the future, marking a significant step towards fully autonomous ride-hailing services. Both companies see this as a critical development in the journey towards scalable, global autonomous driving solutions.

Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said: “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, said: “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.”