Wayve Opens $85 Million Tender Offer at $8.5 Billion Valuation

The offer follows a massive $1.2 billion Series D round closed in February, which brought in heavyweights like SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Uber. By providing liquidity to its 1,200-strong workforce, Wayve is mirroring a broader trend among high-growth AI firms, including ElevenLabs and Decagon, which use periodic share buybacks to keep personnel invested rather than losing them to competitors or startup founders.

Wayve distinguishes itself from industry rivals by avoiding high-definition maps in favor of an end-to-end neural network. This approach aims to mimic human learning, allowing the software to adapt to diverse road conditions and vehicle types. With a headcount that has doubled in the last year, the company is preparing for pilot robotaxi launches with Uber later this year and a 2027 integration partnership with Nissan.