Semiconductor Giants AMD, Arm, Qualcomm Invest $60M In UK Autonomous Driving Startup Wayve

Three major chipmakers AMD, Arm, and Qualcomm have contributed $60 million to U.K.-based self-driving technology startup Wayve, the companies announced Wednesday. The new capital forms part of an extension to Wayve’s recently closed $1.2 billion Series D funding round.

Wayve has already drawn an all-star lineup of strategic investors to its Series D round, including global automakers Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Stellantis, plus returning backers Nvidia, Microsoft, and Uber. Earlier stakeholders including Eclipse, Balderton, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 also joined the latest extension, and the overall round size could still expand moving forward. Uber has additionally committed $300 million in milestone-linked funding, which will be released only if Wayve successfully deploys London robotaxi fleets equipped with the startup’s technology.

The participation of AMD, Arm, and Qualcomm’s venture division brings far more value than just capital, however. The partnership is also focused on supporting the diverse range of compute platforms that Wayve’s self-driving system needs to operate across different vehicle lineups.

Wayve has built a self-driving platform that does not depend on custom sensors, proprietary chips, or pre-built high-definition maps. Instead, the startup’s software runs on an end-to-end neural network that learns to direct vehicles using only real-time data captured from whatever sensors a vehicle already has installed. It can also run on any chipset that its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automotive partners already use in their production vehicles.

Wayve’s autonomous driving technology underpins two core products sold to automakers and mobility technology firms: an “eyes on” assisted driving system that requires human drivers to stay alert and ready to take over control, and an “eyes off” fully autonomous system that handles all driving tasks in specific environments, suited for both robotaxis and private consumer vehicles.

The startup has already locked in multiple major automaker customers. Nissan will integrate Wayve’s technology into its advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) starting in 2027, while Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis are also clients planning to use Wayve’s tech in upcoming vehicle models.

Wayve notes the new investment will support cross-platform integration across automotive compute ecosystems, and accelerate the rollout of its Wayve AI Driver into production ADAS and fully autonomous driving systems.

“For embodied AI to scale, automakers need design choice and supply chain flexibility,” Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall said in the company’s announcement. “Expanding our relationships with leading silicon companies helps bring that into production at a global scale.”