与2025年相比，这一集中涌现的现象更为突出。睿兽分析数据显示，2025年全球新增独角兽123家，美国75家、中国22家。其中53家为AI相关企业，美国 36家、中国8家。而2026年仅1月就新增9家AI独角兽，其集中程度和融资规模均刷新纪录。 更重要的是，这9家公司大多在极早期（种子轮或A轮）就获得了远超常规的巨额融资。例如，Humans&的4.8亿美元种子轮融资和Etched的5亿美元A+融 资，以及Waabi的7.5亿美元新一轮融资，均创下各自阶段或细分领域的融资纪录。 同期，中国AI领域并未诞生新的独角兽，但也有不少AI公司获得大额融资。据睿兽分析，中国1月融资额位居前10的AI公司，总融资近100亿元人民币。 其中大模型公司阶跃星辰获得超50亿元人民币B+轮投资，位居1月中国AI公司融资额之首。 为什么这9家公司成为独角兽？ 作者丨冯汝梅 编辑丨关雎 在2026年的第一个月，AI领域新增多家独角兽公司。 根据睿兽分析的统计数据，截至2026年1月31日，全球新增了24家独角兽公司，这些公司在本月完成了新一轮融资，估值首次突破10亿美元。 24家新增独角兽中，有9家属于AI领域。这9家AI公司本轮融资 ...

Core Insights - Waabi, an autonomous driving startup, has announced a $1 billion financing round, consisting of a $750 million Series C led by Khosla Ventures and G2 Venture Partners, along with an additional $250 million commitment from Uber [3][13] - Following this financing, Waabi has entered into an exclusive agreement with Uber to deploy 25,000 RoboTaxis powered by Waabi Driver on the Uber platform, although a specific timeline for deployment has not been provided [3][8] Financing Details - The financing round includes $750 million from Khosla Ventures and G2 Venture Partners, and an additional $250 million from Uber, totaling $1 billion [3][13] - Waabi's cumulative funding has reached approximately $1.284 billion, with a target valuation of $3 billion post-Series C [13] - Previous funding rounds include $83.5 million in 2021 and $200 million in 2024, with notable investors such as NVIDIA, Volvo, and Porsche participating [11][13] Business Operations - Waabi's primary operations are based in Texas, with logistics centers in cities like Toronto, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh, and it is conducting commercial trials with human safety drivers [4][8] - The company has expanded its transportation routes across the U.S., covering both coasts and central regions [4] Technology and Innovation - Waabi follows a "factory-integrated" approach in hardware development, collaborating with Volvo to integrate Waabi Driver into Volvo VNL Autonomous models [6][8] - The company emphasizes a unified technology stack for both trucks and passenger vehicles, utilizing a high-fidelity neural simulator called "Waabi World" to create digital twins for real-time sensor simulation [6][8] Leadership and Vision - Waabi was founded in 2021 by Raquel Urtasun, a former chief scientist at Uber ATG, who combines academic and industrial experience in autonomous driving [14][16] - Urtasun focuses on a technology path that is verifiable, explainable, and scalable, aiming for a faster commercialization pace [16] Market Context - The significant investment in Waabi reflects the ongoing interest in the autonomous heavy-duty trucking sector, with major players like NVIDIA and Volvo accelerating resource concentration in companies with high-fidelity simulation capabilities [17] - The current financing trend indicates a competitive landscape for achieving commercial viability in autonomous freight logistics [17]

Core Insights - Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions have achieved a significant milestone by integrating the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous, marking a major step in the advancement of autonomous trucking [2][3][5] Group 1: Partnership and Integration - The integration of the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous highlights the strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the development and adoption of autonomous trucks [5] - This collaboration is essential for building a broader ecosystem that supports commercial deployment of autonomous technology [6] Group 2: Technology and Safety - The Waabi Driver is described as the only interpretable and verifiable end-to-end AI model capable of true generalization, which is crucial for scaling autonomous driving across various geographies [8] - The Volvo VNL Autonomous truck is designed with redundant systems for safety-critical functions, ensuring safe autonomous operations [9] Group 3: Future Developments - Waabi is on track to launch driverless software by the end of the year, demonstrating readiness for driverless operations while maintaining safety protocols [11] - Other companies in the autonomous trucking space, such as Aurora and Gatik, are also making significant strides towards commercialization, with plans for extensive deployment of driverless trucks in the near future [13][16]

Core Insights - Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions have successfully integrated the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck, marking a significant milestone in their strategic partnership [1] - The future of autonomous trucking relies on safe and scalable technology, purpose-built hardware, and a commercial deployment model that addresses supply chain issues [2] - Volvo's VNL autonomous truck features redundant systems for fully autonomous operations, enhancing safety and reliability [3] Company Developments - Waabi is preparing for a driver-out milestone by the end of the year and has appointed former Uber Freight CEO Lior Ron as COO to scale operations for commercial launch [5] - Volvo Group Venture Capital has been a strategic investor in Waabi since January 2023, participating in a $200 million Series B funding round [6] Industry Trends - The integration of Waabi's technology into Volvo's platform emphasizes the importance of vertical integration for autonomous vehicle technology [4] - The collaboration between Waabi and Volvo is part of a broader trend towards commercialization in the autonomous trucking sector [5]

Core Insights - Waabi has launched a new autonomous truck, the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck, in partnership with Volvo, marking a significant step in the commercialization of self-driving technology [1][4] - The company aims to be the first to commercialize self-driving trucks without a human safety driver, positioning itself against competitors like Aurora [2] - Waabi's self-driving system, the Waabi Driver, is designed to operate across various geographies, enhancing scalability and integration within existing logistics operations [5] Company Developments - Waabi's CEO, Raquel Urtasun, highlighted the company's capability to operate in generalized surface streets in Texas, with plans for nationwide expansion in the coming years [3] - The Volvo VNL truck has been engineered for safety and redundancy, allowing for the removal of a human driver [6] - Waabi's partnership with Volvo includes Volvo's investment in the startup, participating in Waabi's $200 million Series B funding round in 2024 [9] Competitive Landscape - Waabi's competitor, Aurora, has a similar partnership with Volvo and has already launched a commercial service with a human observer on board [4] - Aurora's service operates on a route between Dallas and Houston and is expanding to El Paso, showcasing the competitive dynamics in the autonomous trucking sector [4]