The London-based artificial intelligence company Wayve is in talks to raise as much as $2 billion from Microsoft and SoftBank, as per a Financial Times report.
The discussions could see the company’s valuation rise to about $8 billion, the report said, citing sources, though a final figure has not yet been set.
Founded in 2017, Wayve has become one of the UK’s most-watched AI start-ups, specialising in building foundation models for self-driving cars.
Its new fundraising discussions come amid an international rush to invest in fast-growing AI developers that are shaping automation across transport, manufacturing, and robotics.
Global investors race to back new AI systems
The talks between Wayve, SoftBank, and Microsoft follow a surge of global dealmaking in the AI sector this year, with investors funnelling billions into model makers and robotics ventures.
Similar large-scale funding rounds have recently been announced by OpenAI and Anthropic, underscoring the growing competition among investors to secure early stakes in the most promising AI developers.
Wayve’s discussions mark one of the largest potential UK-based fundraises in the autonomous driving segment, reflecting how the nation’s AI ecosystem is increasingly drawing attention from major US and Asian investors.
SoftBank, which led Wayve’s previous $1 billion round in 2023, is expected to participate again, while Microsoft — already a backer of the firm — is in active talks about further investment.
Nvidia joins the AI mobility wave
Wayve’s rise has also caught the attention of Nvidia, which last month announced a $500 million investment in the company.
Nvidia’s specialised robotics systems have powered Wayve’s navigation technology since the start-up built its first car in 2018.
The company’s AI-driven software is designed to operate on standard automotive hardware, relying on lower-cost sensors and computing components instead of the highly specialised systems required by rivals such as Alphabet’s Waymo or Amazon’s Zoox.
This approach could make mass deployment of autonomous driving technology more commercially viable.
While competitors like Waymo and Zoox need to pre-map every city before their vehicles can operate safely, Wayve’s system claims to be “generalisable” — capable of learning from data and adapting to new environments it has never previously encountered.
Partnerships and plans for deployment
In April, Wayve signed its first deployment agreement with Japan’s Nissan, marking a major milestone for the UK-based autonomous driving startup.
Under the partnership, Wayve’s self-driving software will be integrated into Nissan vehicles from 2027, positioning the automaker to become one of the early adopters of next-generation AI-driven mobility systems.
The company is expected to deploy the proceeds from its next funding round to build and train large-scale AI models ahead of commercial rollout — a capital-intensive phase crucial for advancing the technology and ensuring scalability.
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