Waymo raises $2.5 billion in second external funding round

Waymo just announced a second external funding round, raising $2.5 billion for the continued advancement of its autonomous driving technology. According to investor website PitchBook, the company is valued at just over $30 billion, though that figure does not include this most recent funding round. (A spokesperson didn’t respond to a request seeking clarification.) For years, the company has relied almost exclusively on the largesse of its corporate parent, Alphabet. Then, in March 2020, it announced its first external funding round of $2.5 billion, a figure that grew to $3 billion a few months later with the addition of some investors. Most of the same groups that participated in Waymo’s first external investment are back for this... Continue reading…