Uber will start offering WeRide's robotaxis first in Abu Dhabi by the end of this year. The partnership does not involve the US and Chinese markets.

Chinese startup WeRide will offer robotaxis on Uber Technologies' (NYSE: UBER) platform, marking yet another partnership between the US ride-sharing giant and a Chinese company.

WeRide announced a strategic partnership with Uber on September 25 to advance the use of its self-driving vehicles on Uber's platform, and will first launch operations in the UAE.

The partnership will begin in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi by the end of this year, and a batch of WeRide robotaxis will be available on the Uber App to offer services to consumers, according to a statement from the Chinese startup yesterday.

Local passengers will be presented with a new travel option when using the Uber App, where they can choose to take a ride in one of WeRide's robotaxis to complete their trip.

Notably, WeRide emphasized that the partnership does not involve the US or Chinese markets.

WeRide is the latest Chinese company to enter into a partnership with Uber. The US company announced on July 31 that it and BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) had entered into a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at bringing 100,000 new BYD electric vehicles onto the Uber platform, covering key markets around the world.

Uber's partnership with BYD starts with Europe and Latin America and will expand to markets such as the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

WeRide was founded in 2017 and the company's products include robotaxi, mini robobus, robovan, robo street sweeper and SAE L2-L4 solutions for high-level intelligent driving.

The company is currently testing and operating autonomous driving in 30 cities in 7 countries and is the only company to have autonomous driving test licenses in four countries at the same time -- China, the US, the UAE and Singapore, according to WeRide's website.

In July 2023, WeRide was approved to test and operate self-driving vehicles on public roads in the UAE.

Currently, WeRide operates the largest fleet of robotaxi in the UAE, which is available to local residents through the TXAI App, the statement from the Chinese company said yesterday.

WeRide has filed for an IPO (initial public offering) in the US and plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “WRD”.

It plans to raise $440 million in the IPO as well as a concurrent private placement, and certain investors have agreed to purchase $320.5 million in class A ordinary share, according to its prospectus.

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