Nvidia, the leading U.S. chip designer, has signed a letter of intent signaling its interest in a potential $500 million investment in Wayve’s upcoming funding round, the London-based autonomous driving technology company announced on Thursday.
This development follows the signing of a new technology pact between Britain and the United States, aimed at strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence and related fields.
Founded in 2017, Wayve secured over $1 billion in funding last year in a round led by SoftBank Group, with Nvidia among the major backers. In a separate transaction earlier this year, ride-hailing giant Uber also invested in Wayve, though the sum was not disclosed.
Distinguishing itself from conventional autonomous driving systems that depend on high-definition maps and extensive coding, Wayve’s approach uses machine learning and vehicle-mounted camera sensors to learn traffic patterns and driver behavior in real time.
Wayve’s self-driving platforms leverage Nvidia’s chips—a partnership that reinforces the U.S. firm’s expanding role in the ongoing global boom in artificial intelligence.
While Wayve is based in London, it is actively operating in both the UK and the U.S., and is expanding its testing and development footprint to countries including Germany and Japan.
Separately on Thursday, Nvidia announced plans to inject £2 billion ($2.70 billion) into the British AI startup ecosystem, underscoring the company’s growing commitment to the region.
