Wayve Hires Former Waymo CFO Elisa de Martel for Robotaxi Expansion
Former Waymo CFO Elisa de Martel joins Wayve as the $8.5 billion startup prepares its map-free driving technology for robotaxis and passenger vehicles.
Summary
On September 16, 2026, Wayve named Elisa de Martel CFO as the self-driving startup prepares to deploy automated driving in robotaxis and passenger vehicles. She replaces Max Warburton, CFO since 2024, who becomes a strategic adviser to Wayve’s leadership. Based in Sunnyvale, California, de Martel was Waymo CFO from 2022 to January 2026, when Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle unit entered commercial service in several cities and raised an Alphabet-led $5.6 billion Series C at a valuation above $45 billion. She previously served as Carbon’s CFO and spent 11 years as Apple’s manufacturing finance director.
Founded in 2017, Wayve is valued at about $8.5 billion and has raised $3.2 billion for self-learning software built on an end-to-end neural network. The system learns from data without high-definition maps, custom hardware or hand-coded rules, supporting an “eyes on” assisted-driving product and an “eyes off” automated system for certain environments. Its hardware flexibility has attracted Nissan, Stellantis and Uber. Public robotaxi rides have begun in London with a human safety operator, and Tokyo is expected next. De Martel will oversee financial strategy, planning, capital allocation, reporting, governance, treasury and tax, while advising founder and CEO Alex Kendall’s team on commercial, investor and strategic partnership deals. Her deep-tech experience arrives as Wayve attempts to turn limited deployments into high-volume automotive supply.
Positives
- $3.2 billion raised gives Wayve substantial funding to commercialize its self-learning automated driving software.
- Nissan and Stellantis partnerships provide routes for Wayve’s technology into established automotive manufacturing programs.
- London public rides have begun, giving Wayve real-world robotaxi deployment experience before its expected Tokyo expansion.
- $5.6 billion raised during Elisa de Martel’s Waymo tenure demonstrates experience managing large-scale autonomous vehicle financing.
- No requirement for high-definition maps or custom hardware makes Wayve’s software adaptable to automakers’ existing platforms.
Risks & concerns
- London rides still require a human safety operator, showing Wayve remains at an early and limited deployment stage.
- Wayve’s “eyes off” system can handle all driving only in certain environments rather than universally.
- High-volume automotive supply remains unproven despite Wayve’s $8.5 billion valuation and $3.2 billion in funding.
- Tokyo is expected to follow London, but no launch date has been specified.
- Wayve must commercialize robotaxi and passenger vehicle products simultaneously during a historically precarious scaling phase.