Waymo

Waymo LLC, formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, is an American <a href="/facts/Autonomous_driving/KXeFywXS">autonomous driving</a> technology company headquartered in <a href="/facts/Mountain_View%2c_California/dm29hKlV">Mountain View, California</a>. It is a subsidiary of <a href="/facts/Google/GT9Sugza">Google</a>'s parent company (<a href="/facts/Alphabet_Inc./K3QvP6ns">Alphabet Inc</a>).
The company traces its origins to the Stanford Racing Team, which <a href="/facts/Stanley_(vehicle)/VXWCzVob">competed in the 2005</a> and 2007 <a href="/facts/Defense_Advanced_Research_Projects_Agency/Uf9sarhT">Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency</a> (DARPA) <a href="/facts/DARPA_Grand_Challenge/qfSRSYBa">Grand Challenges</a>. Google's development of self-driving technology began in January 2009, led by <a href="/facts/Sebastian_Thrun/xyg6fmSp">Sebastian Thrun</a>, the former director of the <a href="/facts/Stanford_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory/Dhjznw9U">Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory</a> (SAIL), and <a href="/facts/Anthony_Levandowski/upjlI4Fl">Anthony Levandowski</a>, founder of 510 Systems and Anthony's Robots. After almost two years of road testing, the project was revealed in October 2010.
In fall 2015, Google provided "the world's first fully driverless ride on public roads". In December 2016, the project was renamed Waymo and spun out of Google as part of Alphabet. In October 2020, Waymo became the first company to offer service to the public without safety drivers in the vehicle. Waymo, as of 2025, operates commercial <a href="/facts/Self-driving_taxi/KXeFywXS">robotaxi</a> services in <a href="/facts/Phoenix%2c_Arizona/MFvp5Upw">Phoenix (Arizona)</a>, <a href="/facts/San_Francisco/cb9l7hbC">San Francisco (California)</a>, <a href="/facts/Silicon_Valley/gdot9J7e">Silicon Valley</a> (California), <a href="/facts/Los_Angeles/pyXpYEX9">Los Angeles</a> (California), <a href="/facts/Miami/L5FsgQcb">Miami, Florida</a>, <a href="/facts/Atlanta/8hPVGb78">Atlanta, Georgia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Austin%2c_Texas/xpVP4t98">Austin, Texas</a> with new services planned in <a href="/facts/New_York_(state)/mnl67G1G"> New York</a>, <a href="/facts/Atlanta/8hPVGb78">Atlanta, Georgia</a>, <a href="/facts/Washington%2c_D.C./enXPK156">Washington, D.C.</a> and <a href="/facts/Tokyo/LttKYU40">Tokyo</a>, <a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a>. City mapping in preparation for new services, as of May 2025, is taking place in various cites in the United States including, <a href="/facts/Boston/exjfn6xf">Boston</a>, <a href="/facts/Nashville/KvWAcNtd">Nashville</a>, <a href="/facts/New_Orleans/IgCn61KH">New Orleans</a>, <a href="/facts/Dallas/f3c7MQn0">Dallas</a>, <a href="/facts/Las_Vegas/DLwGjxJt">Las Vegas</a> and <a href="/facts/San_Diego/YFUP7gB9">San Diego</a>, with pre-mapping preliminary work now in progress in <a href="/facts/Orlando%2c_Florida/QeW5fkCp">Orlando</a>, <a href="/facts/Houston/1v8AwQUN">Houston</a> and <a href="/facts/San_Antonio/AzJuQzSm">San Antonio</a>. As of April 2025, it offers over 250,000 paid rides per week, totalling over 1 million miles weekly.
Waymo is run by co-CEOs <a href="/facts/Tekedra_Mawakana/aP756hqn">Tekedra Mawakana</a> and <a href="/facts/Dmitri_Dolgov/UYC3Ao7M">Dmitri Dolgov</a>. The company raised US$5.5 billion in multiple outside funding rounds by 2022 and raised $5.6 billion funding in 2024. Waymo has or had partnerships with multiple vehicle manufacturers, including <a href="/facts/Stellantis/r37HfCuk">Stellantis</a>, <a href="/facts/Mercedes-Benz_Group_AG/KfdR8UTS">Mercedes-Benz Group AG</a>, <a href="/facts/Jaguar_Land_Rover/Fpb9gJdL">Jaguar Land Rover</a>, and <a href="/facts/Volvo_Cars/Ihwv9gNq">Volvo Cars</a>.

Waymo open-in-new

Waymo