Waymo Secures a Record-Breaking $16B Investment for Worldwide Expansion at a $126B Valuation
Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving subsidiary, has successfully secured an unprecedented $16 billion funding round. This investment values the trailblazing robotaxi firm at a staggering $126 billion, marking the most substantial investment ever made in an autonomous vehicle company.
The funding round was championed by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital. Other significant contributors included Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price. Alphabet, the parent company, retained its position as the majority investor while backing the round.
Waymo intends to utilize this capital to significantly expedite its expansion. The company has announced plans to commence operations in over 20 additional cities in 2026. This includes breaking ground in its first international markets in Tokyo and London. Currently, Waymo provides more than 400,000 rides per week across six major U.S. metropolitan areas:
- Austin
- San Francisco
- Phoenix
- Atlanta
- Los Angeles
- Miami
In 2025 alone, Waymo tripled its annual volume to 15 million rides, surpassing 20 million lifetime rides to date.
“We are no longer proving a concept; we are scaling a commercial reality,” stated Waymo co-CEOs Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov in the company’s announcement. The valuation represents a significant increase from the company’s $45 billion valuation just 14 months ago, underscoring rapid investor confidence in autonomous mobility technology.
Source: TechCrunch