Waymo Raises $16 Billion, Valuation Reaches $126 Billion
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2h ago
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Should l Buy GOOG?
Source: stocktwits
- Funding and Valuation: Waymo raised $16 billion in a funding round led by Dragoneer, DST, and Sequoia, achieving a valuation of $126 billion, nearly tripling in less than two years, which reflects strong investor confidence in its growth prospects.
- Expansion Plans: In 2026, Waymo plans to expand into additional U.S. cities and launch services in London and Tokyo, further solidifying its leadership position in the global autonomous driving market while addressing the increasing demand for mobility.
- Safety Record and Operational Data: With 127 million miles driven, Waymo's autonomous vehicles have achieved a 90% reduction in serious injury crashes and provided 15 million rides in 2025, tripling its annual volume from the previous year, showcasing significant improvements in safety and service volume.
- Competition and Regulatory Challenges: While Waymo leads the U.S. robotaxi market, its per-vehicle costs are two to three times higher than Tesla's, potentially limiting fleet growth, and it faces scrutiny from regulators following safety incidents and recalls, highlighting the challenges ahead.
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Analyst Views on GOOG
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOG stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for GOOG is 336.08 USD with a low forecast of 255.00 USD and a high forecast of 400.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
15 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 338.530
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
Current: 338.530
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
About GOOG
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Innovative Funding Size: Waymo announced it has successfully raised $16 billion, achieving a post-money valuation of $126 billion, marking a significant milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving and further solidifying its leadership in the industry.
- Strong Investor Lineup: The funding round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, with Alphabet as the majority investor, alongside notable participation from firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Mubadala Capital, reflecting strong market confidence in Waymo's future growth.
- Outstanding Safety Record: Waymo highlighted its safety achievements, having completed 127 million miles of fully autonomous driving with a 90% reduction in serious injury crashes, a statistic that not only enhances public trust in autonomous vehicles but also lays a solid foundation for future market expansion.
- Market Expansion Plans: Waymo plans to expand into 20 new markets, including Tokyo and London, by 2026, currently providing over 400,000 rides per week, with an anticipated annual ride volume of 15 million by 2025, further driving the company's growth trajectory.
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- Funding and Valuation: Waymo raised $16 billion in a funding round led by Dragoneer, DST, and Sequoia, achieving a valuation of $126 billion, nearly tripling in less than two years, which reflects strong investor confidence in its growth prospects.
- Expansion Plans: In 2026, Waymo plans to expand into additional U.S. cities and launch services in London and Tokyo, further solidifying its leadership position in the global autonomous driving market while addressing the increasing demand for mobility.
- Safety Record and Operational Data: With 127 million miles driven, Waymo's autonomous vehicles have achieved a 90% reduction in serious injury crashes and provided 15 million rides in 2025, tripling its annual volume from the previous year, showcasing significant improvements in safety and service volume.
- Competition and Regulatory Challenges: While Waymo leads the U.S. robotaxi market, its per-vehicle costs are two to three times higher than Tesla's, potentially limiting fleet growth, and it faces scrutiny from regulators following safety incidents and recalls, highlighting the challenges ahead.
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- Stock Market Performance: Stocks are experiencing a rise similar to January's performance, indicating positive investor sentiment.
- Influencing Factors: Fresh economic data and a strong upcoming earnings season are contributing to the optimistic outlook among investors.
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- Record Funding Round: Waymo announced a $16 billion funding round that values the company at $126 billion, more than doubling its previous valuation of $45 billion from a $5.6 billion Series C round, reflecting strong investor confidence in its future prospects.
- Diverse Investor Base: The funding attracted a mix of new and existing investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, and Sequoia Capital, which enhances Waymo's financial strength and competitive position in the market.
- Enhanced Safety Standards: Waymo's co-CEOs stated that the new capital will enable the company to expand at unprecedented speed while maintaining industry-leading safety standards, marking a significant acceleration in its commercialization efforts.
- Global Expansion Plans: Waymo aims to roll out its autonomous driving technology to more cities across the U.S. and internationally within the next year, targeting rapid growth on a global scale and further solidifying its leadership in the autonomous driving sector.
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- Record Funding Round: Waymo raised $16 billion in its latest funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of $126 billion, more than doubling its previous valuation of $45 billion from October 2024, reflecting strong market confidence in its autonomous driving technology.
- Strong Investor Backing: The funding was led by Alphabet and included prominent investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, and Sequoia Capital, indicating robust investor expectations for Waymo's future growth trajectory.
- Global Expansion Plans: Waymo aims to expand its robotaxi service to cities like Dallas, Denver, and Detroit in 2026, while also entering the international market in London, which underscores its ambition to accelerate its global footprint.
- Safety Challenges: Despite the successful funding and expansion plans, Waymo faces safety challenges, including a software recall in Texas and an investigation into an incident in California, highlighting the critical need to maintain safety standards amid rapid growth.
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