Uber Invests US$500 Million in Nuro to Expand Robotaxi Network

Uber Technologies has committed nearly US$500 million to autonomous vehicle startup Nuro as part of its broader strategy to build a multi-partner robotaxi network, according to sources familiar with the matter. The investment, which includes previously undisclosed follow-on funding and milestone-based financing agreements, positions the ride-hailing company as one of the Silicon Valley firm's largest backers. 

The commitment forms part of a wider autonomous mobility strategy centered on partnerships with vehicle manufacturers and self-driving technology developers. A key initiative involves a three-way collaboration among Uber, Nuro, and electric vehicle maker Lucid Group to deploy 35,000 robotaxis. The fleet will consist of Lucid Gravity SUVs and future midsize vehicles equipped with Nuro’s autonomous driving system and operated through Uber’s ride-hailing platform.

According to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the nearly US$500 million commitment is structured across multiple funding tranches. Uber previously disclosed its participation in a US$203 million financing round that valued Nuro at approximately US$6 billion. However, the sources said Uber later made an additional investment that exceeded the size of its original contribution.

The remainder of the funding is tied to development and commercial milestones achieved by Nuro. One source told Reuters that “the first few milestones have already been met on time,” triggering the release of a portion of the committed capital.

The remaining funding is linked to three key objectives:

• Conducting autonomous vehicle testing without safety drivers, scheduled for later this year.
• Launching fully driverless passenger operations, targeted before year-end.
• Expanding service coverage and scaling commercial operations in 2026.

Neither Uber nor Nuro commented on the financial details.

For Nuro, whose investors include Nvidia and SoftBank Group, the additional capital provides resources to accelerate commercialization of its autonomous driving technology. Founded as a developer of autonomous delivery vehicles, the company shifted its business model in 2024 to focus on licensing self-driving software to automakers and mobility operators.

Nuro is currently conducting testing with safety drivers and plans to launch commercial operations in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. In April, the company received a California permit authorizing tests of autonomous Lucid Gravity vehicles without safety drivers in selected counties. A month later, regulators approved passenger transportation during testing programs that continue to use safety drivers.

Beyond Nuro, Uber has established a separate milestone-based agreement worth up to US$1.2 billion with Rivian Automotive through 2031 to deploy as many as 50,000 autonomous R2 electric vehicles in San Francisco and Miami by 2028. The company has also partnered with Waymo in several US cities and signed autonomous vehicle agreements with Baidu and Wayve. In Europe, Uber is participating in an autonomous ride-hailing pilot program in Munich that combines technology from Nvidia and Israeli artificial intelligence startup Autobrains Technologies.