Waymo Plans Major Expansion Following $16 Billion Funding Round

Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo, continues to make waves in the self-driving industry as it pursues an ambitious expansion plan—backed by a landmark $16 billion funding round that closed earlier this year at a post-money valuation of $126 billion.

Renewed investor interest was reported on October 28, 2026. Waymo now operates fully driverless commercial robotaxi services in several major U.S. markets:

• San Francisco
• Phoenix
• Los Angeles
• Austin

The company has completed more than 20 million rider-only trips and is actively testing vehicles in eight cities. It plans to launch in 11 more U.S. markets, including New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C.

The historic funding round was led by Alphabet, which contributed approximately $13 billion. New investors included Sequoia Capital, DST Global, Dragoneer Investment Group, and Kleiner Perkins, alongside existing backers such as Andreessen Horowitz, Silver Lake, T. Rowe Price, and Mubadala Capital.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has said Waymo will contribute “meaningfully” to Alphabet’s financials as soon as 2027, underscoring the robotaxi venture’s strategic importance to its parent company’s long-term growth.

Source: CNBC – Waymo announces $16 billion funding round