Waymo's former CFO joins self-driving startup Wayve

A neutral summary of Former Waymo CFO jumps to self-driving startup Wayve, published by TechCrunch. Summarised for the Ceeve reading list; the original reporting is TechCrunch's.

Elisa de Martel, former chief financial officer at Alphabet's Waymo, has joined self-driving startup Wayve in the same role. Wayve's previous CFO Max Warburton, appointed in 2024, will move to a strategic advisory position. De Martel's appointment occurs as Wayve prepares to deploy its automated driving technology for both robotaxis and consumer passenger vehicles.

De Martel served as Waymo's CFO from 2022 to January 2026, overseeing a critical period that included commercial operations across multiple cities and a $5.6 billion Series C fundraising round that valued the company at over $45 billion. She has held senior finance roles at Carbon and Apple, where she spent eleven years as manufacturing finance director. At Wayve, she will oversee financial strategy, capital allocation, governance, and treasury functions.

Wayve, founded in 2017, is now valued at approximately $8.5 billion and has raised $3.2 billion in total funding. The company developed self-learning automated driving software using end-to-end neural networks that do not require high-definition maps or custom hardware, with partnerships including Nissan and Stellantis. De Martel's appointment demonstrates the importance of experienced financial leadership as autonomous vehicle companies transition from development to commercial deployment, relevant for finance professionals considering roles in the autonomous vehicle sector tracked by Ceeve.

Read the original on TechCrunch

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