Uber Is Literally In The Driver’s Seat When It Comes To AV Bets
Lloyd
Uber Is Literally In The Driver’s Seat When It Comes To AV Bets
Uber Robotaxis Dominate 2026's Self-Driving Race Will Uber actually profit from self-driving cars? The answer is unfolding faster than many predicted. In January 2026, autonomous trucking startup Waabi secured a landmark $1 billion funding round—including $250 million directly from Uber—to deploy more than 25,000 robotaxis exclusively on Uber's platform. Founded by Raquel Urtasun, Uber's former AI chief, Waabi's pivot from freight to passenger vehicles marks a critical inflection point in the autonomous vehicle race. Rather than manufacturing its own cars, Uber has positioned itself as the essential marketplace where robotaxis succeed or fail. Credit: Google The Waabi Bet: From Trucks to Taxis Waabi's billion-dollar valuation surprised industry watchers who viewed the Toronto-based startup strictly through a freight lens. The company's core innovation—its "simulation-first" Physical AI platform—trained autonomous systems in virtual environments before rea…
