Wayve, the London-headquartered AI self-driving startup, has seen its workforce more than double in the past 12 months, growing to approximately 650 employees. This significant increase in headcount comes as the company expands its operations into new international markets.
While some European tech firms are curbing hiring due to surging AI demands, Wayve is actively ramping up its recruitment efforts. Figures show that Wayve had 263 staff as of 31 August 2024, a number that has since soared to 650. This surge is attributed to Wayve’s expansion into new testing and development hubs in Germany and Japan, marking its first foray into an Asian market.
Wayve, which boasts backing from industry giants like SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft, is actively testing its autonomous technology in various locations. In the UK, its home market, Wayve is conducting tests in cities including Windsor, Cambridge, Oxford, St Albans, Southend-on-Sea, Milton Keynes, London and Warwick. While specific details about testing in Windsor or Cambridge were not immediately available, London is a confirmed location for the company’s on-road trials, with a partnership with Uber planning public road trials of fully autonomous vehicles there. Beyond the UK, Wayve is also testing its technology in the US, Canada, Germany, and Japan.
According to recruitment firm Code, Wayve became Britain’s fastest-hiring tech firm in May of this year, driven by a surge in recruitment for AI-focused roles across its operational regions.
New financial figures for Wayve Technologies reveal a pre-tax loss of £62 million for the year ending August 31, 2024, an increase from £41 million the previous year. During this period, Wayve was primarily in its research and development phase and had not yet generated significant revenues.
However, the company has since secured its first major commercial deal with a carmaker, Japan’s Nissan. This partnership, announced in April 2025, will see Nissan integrate Wayve’s AI Driver software into its next-generation ProPILOT driver-assist system from fiscal year 2027 (ending March 2028), aiming to enhance collision avoidance and adaptability.
The financial figures also indicate that the highest-paid director at Wayve, led by co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall, received £317,000 in the reported period, up from £169,000 the previous year.
In 2024, Wayve successfully completed a $1.05 billion (approximately £827 million) Series C funding round, led by SoftBank. At the time, this marked the largest AI fundraise in the UK’s history and was among the top 20 AI fundraises globally to date.
Image source: Wayve
