Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving division, is apparently deep into talks to secure more than $15 billion in new funding, with a valuation potentially hitting or surpassing $100 billion. This development underscores the swift progress being made in the realm of autonomous driving. If successful, this would propel Waymo into the upper echelon of the world’s most valuable private companies, effectively more than doubling its $45 billion valuation from a little over a year back.
The news, initially broken by The Information and confirmed by Bloomberg, underscores Waymo’s dominant position in the U.S. robotaxi sector. Alphabet, the parent company, is anticipated to spearhead the funding round, and external investors are also expected to contribute substantially. Some estimates have even suggested a valuation reaching $110 billion, as per sources close to the situation.
Waymo’s rapid ascent follows a period of unparalleled operational expansion. The company currently provides roughly 450,000 paid driverless rides each week within its operational zones. In 2025, more than 14 million paid trips were successfully completed. Waymo is poised to exceed 20 million rides in total by the close of this year. This achievement is significant, as it’s entirely the result of fully autonomous operations, with no human safety drivers involved.
Waymo, operating in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta, stands alone in the U.S. as the sole provider of a widespread, paid robotaxi service that doesn’t require a human present in the vehicle. The fleet boasts over 2,500 vehicles, a significant portion of which are Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs. These vehicles are outfitted with sophisticated lidar, radar, and camera systems.
The actual performance we’ve seen is a clear departure from what others are offering. Tesla’s market cap, exceeding $1.5 trillion, is buoyed by enthusiasm for its Full Self-Driving capabilities and robotaxi plans. However, the number of supervised autonomous miles Tesla has driven is dwarfed by Waymo’s 127 million fully driverless miles accumulated so far.
A potential $15 billion windfall would give Waymo the firepower to grow rapidly. The company is gearing up for expansion, with plans to debut in more cities in 2026, even venturing into international markets. Simultaneously, they’re still testing their services in numerous new locations throughout the United States.
Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai has hinted that Waymo might start making a significant impact on the company’s bottom line by 2027. This suggests a move away from being a research and development project and toward becoming a source of revenue.
A $100 billion valuation for Waymo puts it in the same league as SpaceX and ByteDance, a clear indication that working autonomous technology, not just the idea of it, is what investors are willing to pay top dollar for in the current tech world.
With the robotaxi competition heating up, Waymo’s recent actions further cement its lead, demonstrating that providing hundreds of thousands of secure, autonomous rides each week is a venture valued in the billions. A new entrant seems poised to join the ranks of the $100 billion club.
