Grab co-founder and Group CEO Anthony Tan (L) and WeRide founder and CEO Tony Han
Grab, Southeast Asia’s superapp giant, has announced a strategic equity investment in WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology.
This partnership aims to accelerate the deployment and commercialisation of Level 4 Robotaxis and autonomous shuttles across Southeast Asia.
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The investment, subject to customary closing conditions, is anticipated to be completed by H1 2026. It aims to integrate WeRide’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) into Grab’s extensive network, thereby enhancing service and safety standards across the region.
Driving autonomous mobility forward
This expanded collaboration builds upon an MoU signed in March 2025, wherein WeRide and Grab first committed to exploring the technical feasibility, commercial viability, and job creation potential of AVs in the region. Grab’s investment is designed to bolster WeRide’s growth strategy, specifically to expand its commercial AV fleet within the region and to further advance AI-driven mobility solutions.
Dr. Tony Han, Founder and CEO of WeRide, said: “WeRide’s vision for Southeast Asia is to deploy thousands of Robotaxis across the region, through a progressive rollout aligned with local regulations and societal readiness.”
He underscored the strategic importance of Grab’s regional presence, adding, “Grab, our newest partner and investor, is a household name in Southeast Asia with unmatched regional expertise and scale in ride-hailing and digital services. Together, we will combine WeRide’s advanced AV technology and operational know-how with Grab’s strengths to accelerate safe, efficient Robotaxi services, enter new markets, and reinforce our first-mover leadership in shaping the future of mobility.”
Addressing manpower constraints and enhancing accessibility
From Grab’s perspective, the alliance is a crucial step towards overcoming existing operational challenges. Anthony Tan, Group CEO and co-founder of Grab, shared: “We want everyone in Southeast Asia to have access to reliable transportation whenever they need it. However, manpower constraints remain a challenge. We believe AVs can complement our driver network and be deployed in cities with significant driver shortages.”
Tan also emphasised the importance of comprehensive testing of WeRide’s vehicles across diverse Southeast Asian environments to gain valuable insights, adapt the technology for enhanced safety and reliability, and meet the region’s unique requirements.
Seamless integration and operational scalability
The partnership is set to establish a robust framework for deploying autonomous solutions throughout Grab’s network, aiming for enhanced operational efficiency and scalability. WeRide will integrate its autonomous driving technology directly into Grab’s sophisticated fleet management, vehicle matching, and routing ecosystem. The collaboration will focus on several key technical and operational areas, including:
- Optimising dispatch and routing: Leveraging seamless integration of WeRide and Grab’s platforms for efficient AV deployment, thereby enhancing the passenger experience.
- Maximising vehicle uptime: Developing robust maintenance, repair, and charging protocols to ensure continuous operational efficiency.
Measuring safety performance: Utilising WeRide’s extensive regional operational experience to train AVs to navigate Southeast Asia’s complex traffic conditions and assess their potential to reduce accidents caused by human errors. - Remote monitoring and teleoperations: Establishing clear processes to ensure safety and provide remote support during emergency scenarios.
Customer support: Implementing efficient systems for rapid issue resolution to deliver a seamless service experience. - Training and upskilling initiatives: A pivotal aspect of the partnership involves training, upskilling, and transitioning interested Grab driver-partners and local communities into high-value career pathways within the AV industry. This initiative will draw upon WeRide trainers’ extensive AV remote supervision experience and GrabAcademy’s proven track record in upskilling driver-partners.
WeRide is a leader in the autonomous driving industry, notably being the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Its autonomous vehicles have been rigorously tested or operated in over 30 cities across 10 countries. It has secured autonomous driving permits in six distinct markets: China, Singapore, France, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US.
WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, catering to transportation needs across the mobility, logistics, and sanitation sectors.
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Founded in 2012, Grab enables millions of people daily to access a wide array of services, including food and grocery orders, package delivery, ride-hailing, and digital payments, all through a single application. It serves over 800 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The company also manages supermarkets in Malaysia under the Jaya Grocer and Everrise brands and provides digital banking services through GXS Bank in Singapore and GXBank in Malaysia.
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