The Full List of 21 Autonomous Vehicles Unicorn Startups (2026)
The autonomous vehicle sector is home to 21 unicorn startups. Industry giants like Waymo, valued at $45B, and Cruise, with $16B in total funding, lead the market.
Beyond the top players, the ecosystem is supported by companies focused on specific parts of the technology stack. For instance, Applied Intuition, which provides development software, has reached a $15B valuation.
Below is the full list of 21 Autonomous Vehicles unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Autonomous Vehicles Unicorns
Waymo develops autonomous driving technology to power everything from ride-hailing services to trucking and logistics. Their fully autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is active in several major US cities, representing years of development that began as a Google project.
| Valuation | $45B |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Anthony Levandowski, Sebastian Thrun |
| Funding Amount | $11.1B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Fidelity, Tiger Global Management, Temasek Holdings, Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz |
Cruise develops all-electric, self-driving vehicles intended to operate in complex urban environments. They are building an autonomous ride-hailing network to provide a safer and more convenient alternative to traditional city transportation.
| Valuation | $30B |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Daniel Kan, Kyle Vogt |
| Funding Amount | $16B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | General Motors, Y Combinator, SV Angel, Spark Capital, Founder Collective |
Applied Intuition builds software infrastructure to help companies safely develop, test, and deploy autonomous vehicles at scale. Their suite of products supports the entire development lifecycle, from simulation and validation to data management and deployment.
| Valuation | $15B (Joined October 2020) |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Peter Ludwig, Qasar Younis |
| Funding Amount | $1.5B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Bond, Tribe Capital, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Franklin Templeton |
Nuro builds fully autonomous, on-road vehicles designed to transport goods quickly, safely, and affordably. These zero-emission robots are purpose-built for local deliveries, handling everything from groceries to prescriptions.
| Valuation | $6B (Joined February 2019) |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Dave Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu |
| Funding Amount | $2.3B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Icehouse Ventures, NVIDIA, Google, Gaorong Capital, Tiger Global Management |
Shield AI builds an artificial intelligence pilot for military aircraft designed to protect service members and civilians. Their technology enables aircraft to operate autonomously in high-stakes environments, executing missions without a remote pilot.
| Valuation | $5.3B (Joined August 2021) |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Andrew Reiter, Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng |
| Funding Amount | $1.3B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, US Innovative Technology Fund, Founder Collective, ARK Investment Management, Riot Ventures |
Didi Woya builds the autonomous driving systems that power self-driving rideshare vehicles. Their team develops the full stack of hardware and software solutions required for intelligent driving.
| Valuation | $5B |
| Headquarters | Beijing, Beijing, China |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $1.5B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Zhongguancun Science City Science, Valeo, SoftBank Vision Fund, Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, IDG Capital |
Avride develops and operates autonomous vehicles and delivery robots. Their focus is on deploying self-driving technology to make transportation and logistics safer and more efficient.
| Valuation | $4B |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $850M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Uber, Nebius Group |
Voyah manufactures a line of premium electric vehicles, with some models featuring autonomous driving technology. They are expanding their presence from China into international markets with a focus on high-performance automobiles.
| Valuation | $4B |
| Headquarters | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | CN¥5B |
| Company Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | BOCOM International, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, Ganfeng Lithium, Sunwoda Electronic |
Avatr develops and manufactures a line of premium electric vehicles focused on user-centric mobility. Their cars are recognized for integrating advanced autonomous driving technology with a futuristic design aesthetic.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Chongqing, Heilongjiang, China |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $2.3B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Victor Koch & Partners, SDIC Unity Capital, Inno-Chip, Changan Automobile, Bank of Communications |
BYTON designed its electric cars to be premium, intelligent vehicles that act as fully connected smart devices. They are known for a focus on the in-car user experience, building for a future of shared mobility and autonomous driving.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined April 2018) |
| Headquarters | Nanjing, Jiangsu, China |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Carsten Breitfeld, Daniel Kirchert |
| Funding Amount | $1.2B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Suning.com, Tencent, FAW Group, Contemporary Amperex Technology, Foxconn Technology Group |
The Remaining 11 Autonomous Vehicles Unicorns
The ten most valuable companies are just the beginning of the autonomous vehicle story. While startups are emerging worldwide, China has become a clear hub for many of the newest unicorns.
These companies are collectively building the technology that will redefine how we move. Here’s a look at the other startups that have reached the billion-dollar valuation.
| Unicorn Startup | Country | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ABB E-Mobility | Switzerland | 2010 | CHF525M | $3B |
 Zelos | China | 2021 | $500M | $2B |
 Wayve | United Kingdom | 2017 | $1.3B | $1B |
 Einride | Sweden | 2016 | $752.3M | $1B |
 Plus | United States | 2016 | $520M | $1B |
 Momenta | China | 2016 | $1.2B | $1B |
 Deeproute | China | 2019 | $450M | $1B |
 Banma Network Technologies | China | 2015 | $696.7M | $1B |
 Zongmu | China | 2013 | $376M | $1B |
 Soterea | China | 2014 | CN¥1.3B | $1B |
 SKIO Matrix | China | 2009 | CN¥1.9B | $1B |
