Waymo bets big to push driverless taxis worldwide

Waymo announced a $16 billion investment round led by Dragoneer (with new backers Sequoia and DST Global) valuing the company at about $126 billion, to expand its robotaxi service to at least 20 new cities in 2026 and into overseas markets. The funding will fund more vehicles to grow its fleet beyond the 2,500 robotaxis in six US cities, despite the high costs of sensors, remote monitoring, and maintenance. Waymo remains one of the few firms with paid, fully driverless rides in the US and hints at possible IPO activity next.