UK-based self-driving tech startup Wayve announced in 2026 that it is launching an $85 million tender offer, allowing employees to sell a portion of their vested equity. The offer is being led by existing and new investors at the company’s current valuation of $8.5 billion.
That valuation was established in February 2026, when Wayve closed a $1.2 billion Series D round led by Eclipse, Balderton, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with participation from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Baillie Gifford, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Uber. This marks Wayve’s second employee liquidity event; the company previously held a tender offer alongside its $1.05 billion Series C in May 2024.
Wayve is one of several AI startups turning to tender offers as a retention tool. Rather than waiting for an eventual exit, companies are using these structured liquidity events to give employees a reason to stay after their options vest. Other startups that have recently completed similar offers include Decagon, ElevenLabs, Linear, and Clay — the last of which has run two tenders in the past nine months. Investors are willing to participate because they are eager to acquire more equity in high-growth companies, betting valuations will continue to rise.
Founded nine years ago, Wayve now employs 1,200 people — more than double its headcount from a year ago. The company’s autonomous driving software uses an end-to-end neural network that learns from data rather than relying on pre-built high-definition maps, an approach its founders describe as closer to how humans learn to drive.
Wayve is targeting robotaxi pilot launches in partnership with Uber later in 2026, while also planning to integrate its AI software into Nissan’s next-generation driver-assist systems starting in 2027. The tender offer may help the company hold onto key talent as it moves toward those milestones.
Source: TechCrunch