What are the latest funding news in the autonomous vehicle market? (September 2026)
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Autonomous vehicle companies announced 12 qualifying funding deals in this selection between February 2 and August 25, 2026.
The deals covered robotaxis, passenger-car driving systems, autonomous shuttles and commercial trucking platforms across Asia, Europe and North America.
Funding was highly concentrated, as Waymo's $16 billion round represented more than 93% of the disclosed capital in this list.
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Insights
- Waymo represented more than 93% of the at least $17.1 billion disclosed in these autonomous vehicle funding deals, showing that robotaxi scale capital remains concentrated in a single market leader.
- Autonomous trucking accounted for six of the 12 financings and more than $847 million in disclosed capital, underlining how repeatable freight routes support the Level 4 commercialization case.
- Only three rounds were below $30 million, which shows that even seed-stage autonomous vehicle companies need meaningful capital for vehicles, compute, testing and safety validation.
- Six of the 12 transactions were Series D, pre-IPO or PIPE financings, suggesting that the autonomous vehicle market is increasingly shaped by companies preparing for scaled deployment or public-market access.
- Asian companies accounted for six financings, with Japan, China and South Korea producing new autonomous driving rounds across robotaxis, shuttles, passenger cars and freight trucks.
- Turing and Wayve both attracted semiconductor investors, making automotive compute access a visible part of autonomous driving fundraising strategy rather than simply an engineering procurement issue.
- Robotaxi funding ranged from MoveEz's $1.3 million seed round to Waymo's $16 billion late-stage financing, leaving a very wide capital gap between local pilots and scaled fleet operators.
- Commercial expansion was a common use of proceeds, with Gatik, Kodiak AI, KargoBot, Einride and Waymo all raising capital to grow fleets, routes, cities or customer operations.
As this chart shows, and as featured in our autonomous vehicle market deck, search interest in autonomous vehicles has continued to rise
Summary table of the latest funding deals in the autonomous vehicle market as of September 2026
We define the autonomous vehicle market as all cars, vans, buses and trucks designed for public roads that can fully take over the driving task from a human driver in some conditions, from SAE Level 3 to Level 5.
We include passenger cars, robo-taxis, shuttles and commercial trucks with Level 3 to Level 5 automated driving systems, whether owned by individuals or operated in fleets.
We exclude vehicles with only driver-assistance features at Level 1 or Level 2, off-road or industrial robots, and non-road systems such as drones or warehouse robots.
You can also read our detailed analysis to understand how funding activity in the autonomous vehicle market has evolved over the last few years.
We also have a quarter-by-quarter analysis of funding activity in the market here.
Finally, you can check our complete list of fundraising deals for the autonomous vehicle market (we update this list every quarter) as well as our ranking of the most funded startups.
| Name | When | Amount in $ | Round Type | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatik | August 25, 2026 | $200M | Growth financing | Level 4 autonomous freight trucks |
| Turing | July 6, 2026 | $79M | Series A extension | Passenger autonomous driving systems |
| Kodiak AI | May 7, 2026 | $100M | PIPE financing | Level 4 autonomous trucking |
| Humble Robotics | April 21, 2026 | $24M | Seed | Cabless autonomous electric freight trucks |
| DeepWay | April 21, 2026 | More than $310M | Pre-IPO financing | Electric autonomous heavy trucks |
| Wayve | April 15, 2026 | $60M | Series D extension | Autonomous driving software & robotaxi systems |
| QCraft | March 23, 2026 | $100M | Series D | Level 4 mobility & autonomous driving systems |
| Autonomous A2Z | March 12, 2026 | $27.4M | Pre-IPO financing | Autonomous shuttles & public mobility |
| KargoBot | March 2, 2026 | More than $100M | Series B | Level 4 autonomous trucking |
| Einride | February 26, 2026 | $113M | PIPE financing | Autonomous electric trucks & freight fleets |
| MoveEz | February 25, 2026 | $1.3M | Seed | Regional Level 4 robotaxis |
| Waymo | February 2, 2026 | $16B | Late-stage private financing | Commercial robotaxi fleets |
All the latest funding deals during in the autonomous vehicle market as of September 2026
Gatik raised $200 million in August 2026 to expand driverless commercial freight operations.
When was it?
Gatik announced the financing on August 25, 2026.
Who are they?
Gatik operates autonomous box trucks that move goods between distribution centers, warehouses and retail stores.
Geographical focus?
Gatik operates primarily in North America, with commercial driverless freight activity in the United States.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Gatik belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its core product is a Level 4 truck designed to carry freight on public roads without a driver.
What is the company stage?
Gatik is in commercial growth, with active customer operations and an expanding driverless deployment model.
How much did they raise?
Gatik raised $200 million in the announced financing.
What round is it?
Gatik described the transaction as growth financing, while the reviewed news announcement did not state a formal series label.
Why did they raise?
Gatik raised the capital to hire staff, expand into new markets and scale driverless freight operations after commercial agreements including PepsiCo.
Turing raised $79 million in July 2026 to advance its autonomous passenger-car driving system.
When was it?
Turing announced the financing on July 6, 2026.
Who are they?
Turing develops an end-to-end AI system that turns camera inputs into driving decisions and vehicle control.
Geographical focus?
Turing is based in Japan and is developing its technology for Japanese vehicles before wider international deployment.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Turing belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its AI driver is intended to perform the full driving task in passenger cars and robotaxis.
What is the company stage?
Turing is in late research and development, with commercialization preparation underway.
How much did they raise?
Turing raised $79 million, including equity financing and a loan facility.
What round is it?
Turing completed a Series A extension.
Why did they raise?
Turing raised the money to expand computing infrastructure, recruit talent and advance autonomous-driving research and commercial operations.
This chart, included in our autonomous vehicle market deck, compares the main business model options for autonomous trucking companies
Kodiak AI raised $100 million through a PIPE financing in May 2026 for driverless trucking growth.
When was it?
Kodiak AI announced the financing on May 7, 2026.
Who are they?
Kodiak AI develops the Kodiak Driver, an autonomous driving system for heavy trucks on long-haul freight routes.
Geographical focus?
Kodiak AI is focused on the United States and North American freight corridors.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Kodiak AI belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because the Kodiak Driver is designed to complete the driving task in commercial trucks on public roads.
What is the company stage?
Kodiak AI is in early commercial growth, with paid operations and customer-owned driverless trucks.
How much did they raise?
Kodiak AI raised $100 million in gross proceeds.
What round is it?
Kodiak AI completed a private investment in public equity, also known as a PIPE financing.
Why did they raise?
Kodiak AI raised the capital to support customer-owned driverless fleets, product validation and continuing commercialization.
Humble Robotics raised $24 million in April 2026 to develop cabless autonomous electric freight trucks.
When was it?
Humble Robotics announced the seed financing on April 21, 2026, when the company emerged from stealth.
Who are they?
Humble Robotics is developing a cabless battery-electric Class 8 freight vehicle with autonomy integrated into the vehicle design.
Geographical focus?
Humble Robotics is based in California and initially targets North American container and dock-to-dock freight operations.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Humble Robotics belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its cabless truck is designed for Level 4 freight operations on public roads.
What is the company stage?
Humble Robotics is at the prototype and pilot stage, with an unveiled vehicle and early logistics partnerships.
How much did they raise?
Humble Robotics raised $24 million in the announced seed financing.
What round is it?
Humble Robotics completed a seed round.
Why did they raise?
Humble Robotics raised the capital to build and validate its vehicle, grow its engineering team and prepare freight pilots.
This chart, included in our autonomous vehicle market deck, shows how Waymo is winning in autonomous vehicles
DeepWay raised more than $310 million in April 2026 to scale autonomous electric heavy trucks.
When was it?
DeepWay's enlarged pre-IPO financing was reported on April 21, 2026.
Who are they?
DeepWay develops software-defined electric heavy trucks and RoboTruck technology for long-distance freight transport.
Geographical focus?
DeepWay is based in China and is pursuing wider manufacturing and commercial expansion.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
DeepWay belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because autonomous public-road heavy trucks are central to its freight platform.
What is the company stage?
DeepWay is in growth and pre-IPO commercialization, supported by mass-produced electric trucks and an active expansion program.
How much did they raise?
DeepWay raised more than $310 million in the reported financing.
What round is it?
DeepWay completed a pre-IPO financing ahead of a potential public listing.
Why did they raise?
DeepWay raised the capital to advance autonomous-driving technology, increase production capacity and support freight commercialization.
Wayve added $60 million to its Series D in April 2026 with semiconductor industry backing.
When was it?
Wayve announced the Series D extension on April 15, 2026.
Who are they?
Wayve develops an embodied AI driver that can be integrated into passenger vehicles and robotaxi fleets.
Geographical focus?
Wayve is headquartered in the United Kingdom and is building global partnerships across Europe, Japan and other automotive markets.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Wayve belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its AI Driver supports automated driving in passenger cars and Level 4 robotaxi services.
What is the company stage?
Wayve is at a late development and early scaling stage, with major automotive integrations and planned robotaxi deployments.
How much did they raise?
Wayve raised an additional $60 million in the announced extension.
What round is it?
Wayve completed an extension of its Series D round.
Why did they raise?
Wayve raised the money to support broader automotive compute compatibility and accelerate deployment of its AI Driver.
In our autonomous vehicle market deck, we identify pain points entrepreneurs should prioritize
QCraft raised $100 million in March 2026 to expand Level 4 mobility and physical AI programs.
When was it?
QCraft announced the Series D financing on March 23, 2026.
Who are they?
QCraft develops autonomous-driving AI for passenger vehicles, mobility fleets, logistics operations and robotaxi services.
Geographical focus?
QCraft has built its largest deployment base in China and is pursuing international expansion.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
QCraft belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its technology supports Level 4 mobility, freight and robotaxi applications on public roads.
What is the company stage?
QCraft is in the growth stage, with production-vehicle deployments and plans for wider Level 4 operations.
How much did they raise?
QCraft raised $100 million in the announced round.
What round is it?
QCraft completed a Series D financing with financial and automotive strategic investors.
Why did they raise?
QCraft raised the money to invest in physical AI research, reinforcement learning, Level 4 systems and international growth.
Autonomous A2Z raised $27.4 million in March 2026 ahead of its planned public listing.
When was it?
Autonomous A2Z reported the completion of the financing on March 12, 2026.
Who are they?
Autonomous A2Z develops Level 4 autonomous shuttles, passenger vehicles and mobility services for public transportation and smart-city routes.
Geographical focus?
Autonomous A2Z is based in South Korea and is expanding through projects in markets including Singapore, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Autonomous A2Z belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its core products are Level 4 public-road shuttles and autonomous mobility systems.
What is the company stage?
Autonomous A2Z is in growth and pre-IPO stage, with operating services, commercial projects and mass-production plans.
How much did they raise?
Autonomous A2Z raised KRW 40.5 billion, reported as approximately $27.4 million in this selection.
What round is it?
Autonomous A2Z completed a pre-IPO financing ahead of its planned Kosdaq listing.
Why did they raise?
Autonomous A2Z raised the capital to develop its platform, secure components for vehicle production and expand international projects.
This market map, featured in our autonomous vehicle market deck, highlights top companies and startups in the autonomous vehicle market
KargoBot raised more than $100 million in March 2026 to scale its Level 4 trucking fleet.
When was it?
KargoBot announced the Series B financing on March 2, 2026, with broader reporting the following day.
Who are they?
KargoBot operates Level 4 autonomous heavy trucks and a freight network for long-distance and bulk logistics.
Geographical focus?
KargoBot focuses on China, including bulk freight and long-distance logistics routes in regions such as Inner Mongolia.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
KargoBot belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its trucks move commercial freight on public roads with Level 4 autonomous driving systems.
What is the company stage?
KargoBot is in product-market-fit and growth stage, with regular unmanned freight operations on selected routes.
How much did they raise?
KargoBot raised more than $100 million in the financing.
What round is it?
KargoBot completed a Series B round.
Why did they raise?
KargoBot raised the money to expand its unmanned fleet, launch more routes and grow its driverless freight network.
Einride secured $113 million in February 2026 to support autonomous freight expansion and its public-market transaction.
When was it?
Einride announced the PIPE financing on February 26, 2026.
Who are they?
Einride provides electric freight operations, AI transport planning and cabless autonomous trucks for commercial logistics customers.
Geographical focus?
Einride operates across Europe and North America, with further expansion activity in the Middle East.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Einride belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its autonomous trucks are designed to transport commercial goods on public roads without an onboard driver.
What is the company stage?
Einride is in growth and commercialization stage, with enterprise freight customers, electric fleets and autonomous deployments.
How much did they raise?
Einride secured $113 million through the oversubscribed financing.
What round is it?
Einride completed a PIPE connected to its proposed business combination with Legato Merger Corp. III.
Why did they raise?
Einride raised the capital to fund technology development, international growth and additional autonomous freight deployments.
This chart, included in our autonomous vehicle market deck, illustrates yearly funding for autonomous vehicle startups
MoveEz raised $1.3 million in February 2026 to develop Level 4 robotaxis for regional Japan.
When was it?
MoveEz announced the seed financing on February 25, 2026.
Who are they?
MoveEz is developing Level 4 robotaxis for regional communities, difficult weather conditions and areas with limited transport options.
Geographical focus?
MoveEz initially focuses on Japan, including snowy regions and communities affected by ageing populations and declining transport availability.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
MoveEz belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its stated product is a fully autonomous Level 4 robotaxi service.
What is the company stage?
MoveEz is at seed and field-validation stage, with a newly developing commercial organization and early product work.
How much did they raise?
MoveEz raised JPY 200 million, equivalent to approximately $1.3 million.
What round is it?
MoveEz completed a seed round through a third-party allotment of new shares.
Why did they raise?
MoveEz raised the capital to improve its Level 4 AI driver, recruit engineers and accelerate regional robotaxi deployment.
Waymo raised $16 billion in February 2026 to accelerate commercial robotaxi expansion worldwide.
When was it?
Waymo announced the financing on February 2, 2026.
Who are they?
Waymo operates commercial robotaxi services using a Level 4 autonomous driving system within approved operating areas.
Geographical focus?
Waymo's commercial base is in the United States, with international expansion planned for markets including London and Tokyo.
Why do we include them in the autonomous vehicle market?
Waymo belongs in the autonomous vehicle market because its business centers on Level 4 robotaxi technology and paid driverless fleet operations.
What is the company stage?
Waymo is in scaled commercial growth, with active driverless services and expansion into additional cities.
How much did they raise?
Waymo raised $16 billion in the announced financing, at a disclosed post-money valuation of $126 billion.
What round is it?
Waymo completed a late-stage private financing.
Why did they raise?
Waymo raised the capital to expand fleet capacity, enter more cities and support international robotaxi deployments.
Related blog posts
- The evolution of funding activity in the autonomous vehicle market
- The main fundraising trends in the autonomous vehicle market
- How strong is fundraising in the autonomous vehicle market right now?
- Autonomous Vehicle: what are the top startups?
- A complete overview of funding deals in autonomous vehicles
