Waymo has raised $16B to expand its robotaxi fleet around the world

Waymo, the self-driving car company that owns Alphabet, has raised $16 billion as it plans to expand driverless taxis this year to more than a dozen new cities around the world, including London and Tokyo.

Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital led the investment, which now values ​​Waymo at $126 billion, the company. he said in a blog post Monday. Parent company Alphabet supported the round and maintained its position as a major investor.

The round also included significant investment from Andreessen Horowitz and Mubadala Capital, as well as Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price. Additional investors included BDT & MSD Partners, CapitalG, Fidelity Management & Research Company, GV, Kleiner Perkins, Perry Creek Capital, and Temasek.

Waymo said the money will be used to increase its growth, which has grown significantly over the past year and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. The company safety ladder soon to and from San Francisco International Airport and has expanded its robotaxi services to Northern California and several major US cities including Los Angeles, Austin, and Miami.

Over the years, Google’s old self-driving project has made slow progress, testing its vehicle technology on public roads in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area and giving public or radio demonstrations. In 2016, it took its first leap and began testing in Phoenix, where it eventually pulled through. public safety operator out of traffic. Phoenix became Waymo’s first robotaxi market, where people can hail Chrysler Pacific driverless minivans.

Waymo stepped down in August 2023 after receiving the final approval to operate robotaxi — and charge for rides — in California. It started as a small operation in San Francisco, later expanded to the greater Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and soon to the freeways that connect many towns in the region. It also grew in Los Angeles. The company was founded in Austin and Atlanta in 2025 through a partnership with Uber. It started every year expanding to Miami.

The area’s growth has resulted in over 400,000 passengers riding each week in six major US cities. The company said that in 2025 alone, it will triple its annual volume to 15 million rides, surpassing the 20 million lifetime trips to date.

“We are no longer confirming the concept,” the company wrote on its blog. “We’re expanding the business, we’re setting up traffic infrastructure in more than 20 cities by 2026, including Tokyo and London.”

The rapid growth has also led to increased scrutiny and criticism of Waymo’s robotics and technology mistakes. it causes problems to other residents.

Some robotics have shown dangerous behavior especially in schools. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have opened an investigation in illegal Waymo robotaxis maneuvers around school buses. NHTSA launched another investigation last week after the Waymo robotaxi to beat a child near the school. The child, who suffered minor injuries, was hit at about 6 mph.