Skip to main content

Waabi

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

A next-generation autonomous driving platform powered by 'Physical AI' that utilizes generative AI and high-fidelity simulation to enable safe, scalable self-driving for the trucking and transportation industries. Waabi was founded in 2021. The company is led by Raquel Urtasun. Based in Toronto, Canada. Team size: 100-250. Total funding raised: $1.034B. Latest round: Series C. Key investors include ["Khosla Ventures","G2 Venture Partners","Uber","NVentures (NVIDIA)","Volvo Group Venture Capital","Porsche Automobil Holding SE","BlackRock","Radical Ventures","HarbourVest Partners","ADIA","BDC Capital","Export Development Canada","TELUS Global Ventures","BMO Global Asset Management"].

Founded
2021
Headquarters
Toronto, Canada
Team size
100-250
Total funding
$1.034B

Value proposition

Reduces the need for millions of real-world testing miles by using a simulation-first approach, offering a safer, more cost-efficient, and rapidly scalable path to Level 4 autonomy compared to traditional 'AV 1.0' stacks.

Products and solutions

["Waabi Driver: A core autonomous software and sensor suite designed for factory-level integration.","Waabi World: An advanced, high-fidelity simulator for closed-loop training and automated validation of AI driving systems.","Waabi Terminal: Physical operational hubs (e.g., the Texas AV trucking terminal) for autonomous freight deployment."]

Unique value

Waabi utilizes a 'Physical AI' approach—a single, end-to-end trainable system that can reason and generalize like a human, rather than relying on the complex, manual code-heavy stacks used by traditional autonomous vehicle companies.

Target customer

Logistics and freight companies, truck Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and fleet operators (e.g., Uber Freight).

Industries served

["Logistics & Supply Chain","Transportation & Trucking","Artificial Intelligence","Automotive Manufacturing"]

Technology advantage

The 'Simulation-First' strategy allows Waabi to train its AI in a virtual world that is reactive and photorealistic, enabling the system to learn from rare 'edge cases' safely and at a fraction of the cost of real-world road testing.

How they differentiate

Waabi utilizes a 'Physical AI' approach, which is a single, end-to-end trainable system that can reason and generalize like a human. This contrasts with the traditional 'AV 1.0' modular stacks used by competitors that rely on millions of lines of manually written code and extensive real-world testing. Waabi’s 'simulation-first' strategy via Waabi World allows it to train and validate its system almost entirely in a virtual environment.

Main competitors

["Aurora Innovation","Kodiak Robotics","Gatik"]

Key partnerships

["Uber Freight: A 10-year strategic partnership to deploy autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network.","Uber: Exclusive partnership to deploy 25,000+ Waabi Driver-powered robotaxis on Uber platform, with $250M milestone-based investment.","Volvo Autonomous Solutions: Joint development and deployment of autonomous trucks; launched Volvo VNL Autonomous truck in Oct 2025.","NVIDIA: Collaboration to integrate NVIDIA DRIVE Thor and NVIDIA compute for autonomous driving.","Scania & Porsche SE: Strategic investors and partners for European market expansion and technical synergy."]

Notable customers

["Uber Freight","Uber (Robotaxi Partner)","Volvo Autonomous Solutions (Strategic Partner)","Scania (Strategic Partner)"]

Major milestones

["Launched out of stealth with $83.5M Series A in June 2021","Unveiled 'Waabi World', a high-fidelity closed-loop simulator, in 2022","Announced 10-year strategic partnership with Uber Freight in 2023","Opened first autonomous trucking terminal in Texas in 2023","Raised $200M Series B in June 2024 to support 2025 driverless launch","Announced strategic partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions in Feb 2025","Hired Lior Ron (former Uber Freight CEO) as COO in Aug 2025","Launched Volvo VNL Autonomous truck with Waabi Driver in Oct 2025","Raised $1B ($750M Series C + $250M Uber milestone) in Jan 2026","Partnered with Uber to deploy 25,000+ robotaxis on Uber platform in Jan 2026"]

Growth metrics

Secured $1B in new funding (largest fundraise in Canadian history); expanded into robotaxis with Uber (25,000+ vehicles); hired Lior Ron as COO; launched Volvo VNL Autonomous truck; team growth to 200-300+ employees.

Market positioning

High-tech challenger in the Level 4 autonomous trucking industry, positioning itself as the 'AV 2.0' leader that prioritizes generative AI and simulation over hardware-heavy real-world testing.

Geographic focus

North America (primarily the United States, with a major operational hub in Texas) and Europe (through strategic partnerships with Volvo, Scania, and Porsche SE).

Patents and IP

Proprietary AI architecture built on the extensive research of founder Raquel Urtasun, who holds numerous patents in computer vision, LiDAR processing, and neural mapping (many previously assigned to Uber ATG or University of Toronto).

About Raquel Urtasun

Raquel Urtasun is a world-renowned expert in machine learning and computer vision. Before founding Waabi, she was the Chief Scientist and Head of R&D at Uber ATG (Advanced Technologies Group). She is a Professor at the University of Toronto, a co-founder of the Vector Institute for AI, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her work has fundamentally shaped the field of 'Physical AI' and autonomous driving.

Official website: