How to Buy Waymo Stock
Looking into investing in self-driving cars? Waymo is the top choice for many investors. Read on to find out how you can invest in it as well.
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Shortcut: Want to invest in pre-IPO companies like Waymo and other top startups? EquityZen offers a chance for accredited investors to invest in private companies before they're public. Join now to unlock access.
Invest in Private Companies
- Invest in pre-IPO companies through an EquityZen fund.
- $10,000 minimum investment
- Available to accredited investors only
With over a billion miles driven and a million passengers transported, Waymo leads the self-driving car industry in the US.
As an investor, you can be a part of Waymo's success. You can start by investing in its parent company (Alphabet Inc.) or through a secondary market platform. Let's take a look at how you can invest through these options.
Can You Buy Waymo Stock?
Waymo is a private company, so you can't buy its stock directly on a public stock exchange. But that doesn't mean you can't invest in the company. Here are a few alternative ways to invest in Waymo:
- Buy shares on secondary platforms
This is where existing shareholders sell their stakes to other investors. You can find Waymo shares on secondary platforms like Equitybee. - Invest in Alphabet (GOOGL)
Alphabet is Waymo's parent company. When you buy Alphabet stock, you become a shareholder of the overall company, which includes Waymo.
Let's take a deeper look at how these investment options work.
No, you cannot buy Waymo stock now. Waymo is a privately held company, so its stock is typically limited to specific investors like venture capitalists, institutional and accredited investors.
How to Buy Waymo Stock Before the IPO Date
Numerous platforms facilitate pre-IPO stock access, enabling investors to participate in privately-held companies such as Waymo.
Want to invest in Waymo before it IPOs? Get ahead of the curve with EquityZen - a platform that gives accredited investors access to private companies before they go public. Here's how to get started:
1. Sign up with EquityZen
2. Search for Waymo
3. Invest via a fund that owns shares of Waymo
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If it's not available yet, users will be notified once it is.
Invest in Private Companies
- Invest in pre-IPO companies through an EquityZen fund.
- $10,000 minimum investment
- Available to accredited investors only
According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an accredited investor is anyone who:[1]
- Net worth over $1 million, excluding primary residence (individually or with spouse or partner)
- Income over $200,000 (individually) or $300,000 (with spouse or partner) in each of the prior two years, and reasonably expects the same for the current year.
Waymo has not announced any plans to go public. But it's possible that it could do so in the future. An IPO would allow Waymo to raise additional capital to fund its growth and development.
How to Indirectly Invest in Waymo Stock
To indirectly invest in Waymo stock, consider purchasing shares of its parent company, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Alphabet Inc. owns various ventures including Google, Waze, and YouTube.
You can buy Alphabet shares through any brokerage or trading app. No special qualifications are needed. Here's how to do it:
- Create your account on the website or app.
- Fund your account (some platforms may have a minimum funding requirement).
- Search for Alphabet (ticker symbol GOOGL).
- Enter the desired number of shares or dollar amount.
- Place the order.
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Open a new Webull individual brokerage account. Make a single initial deposit of $500 - $1,999.99 during the promotional period to get 20 fractional shares, each valued between $3 - $3,000. Maintain a balance of $500 - $1,999.99 in the account for 30 days or more. Terms and conditions apply.
No, Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. Waymo was originally founded as a Google project but became a separate company in 2016 through a spin-off.[2] Alphabet continues to be the majority shareholder of Waymo.
Why Invest in Waymo Stock?
There are several reasons to consider investing in Waymo stock:
- Waymo is backed by Alphabet Inc.
As a subsidiary of one of the world's largest tech companies, Waymo benefits from Alphabet's robust financial stability and impressive track record.Investors can be more confident that Waymo will have the resources it needs to succeed and stay ahead of the competition.
- Fast progress in self-driving technology
There is an expected expansion of the autonomous vehicle industry.According to a Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) report, self-driving cars will generate around $800 billion in opportunities by 2050. Among the beneficiaries, software developers are expected to be major winners in this rapidly growing market.[3]
So, if you're an investor looking to get in on the self-driving car boom, software development companies like Waymo are a great place to start.
What is Waymo's Valuation?
The latest valuation of Waymo is estimated to be around $30 billion.[4] There's no current information available on any recent funding rounds.
But note that Waymo's valuation has dropped by 85%, from $200 billion in 2018 to $30 billion in 2020.[5] This is likely due to a combination of factors, including market dynamics, technology advancements, and competition in the autonomous vehicle industry.
Waymo made significant progress in recent years before its valuation plummeted.
In July 2020, Waymo raised a total of $3.2 billion in its first external investment round. Among its investors are prominent names such as Andreessen Horowitz, AutoNation, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Mubadala Investment Company.[6]
It also secured a partnership with Volvo to integrate its technology into a new electric vehicle platform designed specifically for ride-hailing services.[7]
Waymo is not yet profitable but its service is already generating revenue. It is also exploring other ways to monetize its self-driving technology, such as by partnering with other companies or by developing new products and services.
What are the Alternatives to Waymo Stock
If you are interested in investing in autonomous vehicle technology and self-driving companies, here are some alternatives to Waymo stock:
- Aurora
Aurora (NASDAQ: AUR) is a startup company founded in 2017. It focuses on developing a self-driving platform that can be used in cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles. This means that it serves multiple industries, such as ride-hailing, logistics, and transportation.Aurora is working with car companies like Toyota to collect data from different cars. This helps them create a better self-driving system.
- Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility.This will propel the company's expanded aim to lead in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, and big data.[8] It focuses on developing car-sharing ventures and self-driving vehicles.
- General Motors
In 2017, General Motors (NYSE: GM) released its first hands-free driver assistance technology, Super Cruise. They then pursued fully autonomous driving through Cruise.But last October 2023, Cruise announced that it would pause all its driverless operations. In the meantime, Cruise will still be under private operation for full safety review, closed-course training environments, and active simulation programs.[9]
Bottom Line
Waymo stock is not publicly traded, but you can invest in it directly through secondary platforms like Equitybee or indirectly invest by buying shares of its parent company, Alphabet (GOOGL).
Keep in mind that Pre-IPO investments carry risks. So, be sure to do your research and consider your financial goals and risk tolerance before making any investment decisions.
References
- ^ SEC. Accredited Investor, Retrieved 01/02/2024
- ^ Waymo. Say Hello to Waymo: What's Next for Google's Self-driving Car Project, Retrieved 01/02/2024
- ^ Securing America's Future Energy. America's Workforce and the
Self-Driving Future, Retrieved 07/29/2023 - ^ UpMarket. Waymo Stock and Valuation, Retrieved 2/8/2024
- ^ Financial Times. Valued at $30bn, Waymo Considers its Next Move, Retrieved 2/8/2024
- ^ Waymo. Waymo Raises First External Investment Round, Retrieved 01/02/2024
- ^ Waymo. Partnering With Volvo Car Group To Scale The Waymo Driver, Retrieved 01/02/2024
- ^ Ford. Ford Smart Mobility Tour, Retrieved 01/02/2024
- ^ Cruise. Important Updates from Cruise, Retrieved 01/02/2024
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