Alphabet(US:GOOGL) Benzinga·2026-02-03 07:48Core Insights - Waymo, Alphabet Inc's self-driving car unit, has raised $16 billion in a new funding round, valuing the company at approximately $126 billion, indicating increasing investor confidence in commercial autonomous vehicle services [1][3] Funding Details - The funding round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, with participation from Mubadala Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, T. Rowe Price, and other institutional investors, while Alphabet remains the majority shareholder [2] Business Expansion - This funding round is one of the largest private investments in the autonomous vehicle sector, tripling Waymo's valuation from around $45 billion in 2024 [3] - Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service operates driverless "robotaxis" in six major U.S. metropolitan areas, providing approximately 15 million paid rides in 2025, nearly three times the volume from the previous year, and currently logs about 400,000 weekly rides [3] - The company plans to utilize the capital to expand its fleet and operations into over 20 new cities in 2026, including its first international markets, aiming to extend beyond its current U.S. presence [4]