Autonomous driving startup Wayve has announced its first major commercial deal, to install self-driving software in vehicles made by Japanese carmaker Nissan, as it looks to ramp up sales focus and expand globally.
Following a record $1bn raise in 2024, last month the company announced it was opening a new testing and development hub in Germany, with plans to also launch in Japan — the home of SoftBank, its biggest backer.
On Thursday Nissan said it would launch new autonomous driving technology in its cars from 2027, which would feature Wayve’s software.
“Wayve AI Driver software, built on Wayve's globally diverse and adaptable foundation model, is designed to handle highly complex real-world conditions,” Nissan said in a statement.
“The technology's ability to efficiently and rapidly learn from vast amounts of data ensures continuous advantage to Nissan vehicles for the future.”
The deal with Nissan is a key milestone for Wayve, which has sought to ramp up commercial focus after spending years focused on research and development for its self-driving software.
In Wayve’s most recent company accounts, for 2023, it said it did not generate any material revenue.
A few years ago the company shifted focus from developing fully autonomous vehicles to focus on autonomous driving features that can be built into cars, which it sees as a quicker path to revenue generation.
Wayve has raised more than $1bn since launching in 2017, from backers including Nvidia, Microsoft and Balderton Capital.
The Nissan deal is the latest international move for the London-based company, which began testing in Silicon Valley in October last year, with plans to drive vehicles fitted with its software up the west coast to Vancouver, where it has an R&D office.
“2025 is a year of global expansion for Wayve,” cofounder and CEO Alex Kendall said in March.
