Chipmakers AMD, Arm and Qualcomm are investing in this buzzing self-driving technology startup

Chipmakers AMD, Arm and Qualcomm have invested $60 million in British self-driving technology startup Wayve as part of an expansion on their recent $1.2 billion Series D funding round, the companies announced Wednesday.

Wayve has already attracted strategic investors for its Series D round, including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Stellantis, as well as returning backers Nvidia, Microsoft and Uber. Other previous investors such as Eclipse, Balderton and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 also participated in the round, which could grow again. Uber has committed another $300 million in a milestone-based investment to develop robotaxis equipped with Wayve’s technology in London.

But the involvement of AMD, Arm and Qualcomm’s business arm is about more than money. It’s also about taking advantage of the variety of computing platforms that Wayve’s self-driving system will need to use.

Wayve has created an autonomous driving system that doesn’t rely on specific sensors, chips or high-definition maps. Instead, Wayve’s software uses an end-to-end neural network that uses only data — received from whatever sensors are on the vehicle — to direct and teach the vehicle how to drive. Wayve’s software can also run on any chip OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners already have in their vehicles.

The startup’s self-driving technology is based on two products it sells to automakers and tech companies. It has developed an “eyes on” assisted driving system, which requires the driver to remain alert and ready to intervene, and an “eyes off” fully automated driving system that can handle all driving in specific environments and can be applied to robotic or consumer vehicles. The company has already attracted several automotive customers. Nissan said it will integrate Wayve’s technology into the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in its cars from 2027. Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis are also customers and plan to use Wayve’s technology in future models.

Wayve said the new investment will support integration into automotive computing platforms and the continued development of Wayve AI Driver into production systems for ADAS and automated driving.

“To scale embedded AI, automakers need design options and flexibility in the supply chain,” Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall said in the company’s announcement. “Expanding our relationships with leading silicon companies helps produce this on a global scale.”