Lead Investor SoftBank Advises Wayve in Billion+ Investment Round in UK-based Autonomous Driving Company

Morrison Foerster (MoFo) has taken on the role of advisor to SoftBank Group Corp. in its leadership role in a .05 billion funding round for Wayve, a UK-based autonomous driving company.

The Series C funding round, led by SoftBank and joined by new investor NVIDIA and existing investor Microsoft, marks a significant milestone for Wayve. This investment is set to propel Wayve forward in its mission to revolutionize autonomous mobility through embodied intelligence.

Established in 2017, Wayve has set itself apart as a trailblazer in Embodied AI for autonomous driving, being the first to develop and test an end-to-end (e2e) deep learning autonomous driving system on public roads.

In a statement regarding the investment, global co-chair of MoFo’s M+A practice, Gary Brown, expressed his excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to have represented SoftBank on its investment in Wayve, which is one of the largest ever investments in a UK-based AI company, and puts it at the forefront of efforts to harness AI to revolutionize autonomous driving.”

The MoFo team in London, led by Gary Brown and corporate senior associate Carlo Pia, received additional support from corporate associates Sebastian Lello and Carlotta Pregnolato. The global deal team included partners and associates from various locations, emphasizing the international scope and expertise brought to the table for this momentous transaction.