Home / Business and Economy / Waabi Secures $1B, Partners with Uber for Robotaxis
Waabi Secures $1B, Partners with Uber for Robotaxis
28 Jan
Summary
- Waabi raised $1 billion, partnering with Uber for robotaxis.
- The startup's AI technology aims to scale across multiple verticals.
- Waabi uses a simulator, Waabi World, for efficient training and testing.
Autonomous vehicle startup Waabi has announced a substantial $1 billion funding round, including a $750 million Series C and approximately $250 million from Uber. This funding enables a partnership with Uber to deploy Waabi's self-driving technology on its ride-hailing platform, marking an expansion from autonomous trucking.
Waabi's strategy hinges on a generalized AI architecture, allowing a single technology stack to address multiple autonomous driving verticals like trucking and robotaxis. This capital-efficient approach differentiates it from competitors who have previously focused on single verticals or struggled to scale.
The company utilizes an advanced closed-loop simulator called Waabi World for training and validating its AI. This simulator enables efficient learning and testing, allowing the Waabi Driver to reason and maneuver like a human, generalizing from fewer examples.
This deal significantly boosts Waabi's total funding to approximately $1.28 billion. The partnership with Uber is expected to accelerate market penetration and scalability, with Waabi aiming for vertical integration with automakers from the factory floor for safety and efficiency.
