WeRide Attracts Public Investments as Top Funds Back Its Autonomous Mobility Growth
Rhea-AI Summary
WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) announced that ARK Invest acquired 858,295 ADSs from public markets, joining a shareholder base that includes major global investors and strategic partners.
Q3 2025 results showed revenue $24.0M (+144.3% YoY), Robotaxi revenue $5.0M (+761.0% YoY), gross profit up 1,123.9% and gross margin at 32.9% (up 26.4 percentage points). The company reports >1,600 AVs across 30+ cities and autonomous permits in 8 countries. Management cited progress toward profitability and plans to deploy 500–1,000 Robotaxis in the Middle East by end-2026.
Positive
- ARK bought 858,295 WeRide ADSs
- Revenue $24.0M up 144.3% YoY
- Robotaxi revenue $5.0M up 761.0% YoY
- Gross profit up 1,123.9% and margin 32.9%
- 1,600+ AVs across 30+ cities; permits in 8 countries
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, WRD gained 2.14%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Peers showed mixed, mostly modest moves with ALRM at -0.17%, AGYS at -1.72%, GRND at +1.32%, NATL at +2.38%, and RNG at +0.19%, suggesting this news is stock-specific rather than sector-driven.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 04 | Institutional purchase, Q3 | Positive | +2.1% | ARK Invest stake and strong Q3 growth metrics highlighted. |
| Nov 26 | Uber Abu Dhabi launch | Positive | +1.5% | Launch of fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi service with Uber in Abu Dhabi. |
| Nov 24 | Q3 2025 results | Positive | +14.7% | Q3 revenue up 144.3% YoY and expanded global AV footprint. |
| Nov 20 | Switzerland permit | Positive | -1.1% | Driverless permit in Switzerland expanding licensed countries to eight. |
| Nov 17 | Abu Dhabi city permit | Positive | +1.3% | World’s first city-level fully driverless permit outside the U.S. |
Recent positive operational and growth news has usually led to modestly positive price reactions, with one notable double-digit rally on strong Q3 results and one pullback after a permit win.
Over the last few weeks, WeRide has reported a series of growth and regulatory milestones. Q3 2025 results on Nov 24 highlighted revenue of $24.0M, up 144.3% YoY, a 32.9% gross margin, and an AV fleet of over 1,600 vehicles licensed in 8 countries. Multiple driverless robotaxi permits in Abu Dhabi and Switzerland and the Uber partnership in Abu Dhabi preceded the current article about ARK Invest’s 858,295 ADS purchase, which reinforces institutional interest in this expansion story.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights ARK Invest’s purchase of 858,295 ADSs and reinforces WeRide’s institutional backing alongside firms like Fidelity, Temasek, NVIDIA, and Uber. It reiterates Q3 2025 revenue of US$24.0M, up 144.3% YoY, Robotaxi revenue of US$5.0M, and a 32.9% gross margin, plus permits in 8 countries and a fleet of over 1,600 AVs. Investors may watch future revenue growth, commercialization progress, and execution on planned Robotaxi deployments through 2026 and 2030.
Key Terms
ads financial
robotaxi technical
l2 to l4 technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- ARK Invest, a leading investment firm managed by Cathie Wood, acquired a total of 858,295 WeRide American Depositary Shares (ADSs) from public markets over the past three trading days, indicating confidence in the company’s growth potential.
- WeRide’s shareholders now include leading global investment institutions such as Fidelity Management & Research, Greenwoods Asset Management, Hudson Bay Capital, Invesco, M&G, Mirae Asset, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Temasek and multiple other long-only and sovereign wealth funds in Asia and the Middle East, as well as strategic players such as Bosch, Grab, NVIDIA, and Uber.
NEW YORK, Dec. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD, HKEX: 0800), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, has attracted investment from ARK Invest (ARK), a leading investment firm managed by Cathie Wood. Based on its public disclosure, ARK acquired a total of 858,295 WeRide American Depositary Shares (ADSs) from public markets over the past three trading days, indicating confidence in the company's growth prospects and long-term strategic positioning in the autonomous mobility market.
ARK’s investment aligns with its focus on disruptive innovation, as autonomous mobility is on track to become a multi-trillion-dollar global market, with robotaxi fleets potentially reaching tens of millions of vehicles by 2030, according to ARK's "Big Ideas 2025" report. WeRide is well positioned to capture this growth, with over 1,600 autonomous vehicles (AVs) internationally and presence in over 30 cities across 11 countries. WeRide is the only company whose AVs hold autonomous driving permits in eight countries – China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the US – highlighting strong regulatory trust in its technology.
Earlier this week, Bank of America (BofA) initiated research coverage on WeRide at Buy with a price target of US
Based on recent public filings, WeRide’s shareholders now include leading global institutions such as Bosch, Fidelity Management & Research, Greenwoods Asset Management, Hudson Bay Capital, Invesco, M&G, Mirae Asset, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, NVIDIA, Temasek and multiple other long-only and sovereign wealth funds in Asia and the Middle East, among others. Grab, Southeast Asia's leading superapp, and Uber, the world’s largest mobility and delivery technology platform, are also shareholders in WeRide.
WeRide’s strong Q3 2025 performance reflects the confidence shown by ARK and other major shareholders. WeRide recorded revenue of US
Founder and CEO Dr. Tony Han noted in a recent CNBC interview: “I'm very optimistic with WeRide's leading position in the global market and our technology. Profitability is a sure thing."
This success stems from WeRide's commitment to staying at the forefront of the fast-evolving autonomous mobility market. WeRide One, the company’s universal autonomous driving technology platform for L2 to L4 vehicles, integrates full-stack software algorithms, modular hardware solutions, and cloud-based infrastructure, enabling strong synergy across mobility, logistics and sanitation products on open roads.
WeRide’s rapid global expansion has not gone unnoticed among investors, supported by its proven track record in navigating complex regulatory environments and in consistently being a first mover across international markets. Notably, the company obtained the world’s first city-level fully driverless Robotaxi commercial permit outside the United States in Abu Dhabi and has already launched the fully driverless service on the Uber platform, with the operation on track to achieve breakeven unit economics.
Besides Abu Dhabi, WeRide's AVs are deployed in Guangzhou, Beijing, Singapore, Riyadh, Dubai, Leuven (Belgium), etc., and its Robotaxi secured a driverless permit in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. WeRide plans to deploy 500-1,000 Robotaxis in the Middle East by end-2026, and tens of thousands worldwide by 2030. WeRide has achieved fully driverless Robotaxi operations in Guangzhou, Beijing and Abu Dhabi, and in Abu Dhabi, the WeRide-Uber Robotaxi service covers about half of Abu Dhabi core areas.
BOCI analysts recently noted that "WeRide is poised to stand out as one of the final winners" as the global robotaxi industry scales. Reflecting this positive outlook, ARK’s stake in WeRide, alongside a strong shareholder base and Buy ratings from BOCI, BofA, CICC, Citi, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS and other leading investment banks, demonstrates confidence that WeRide’s strategic execution and growing commercial footprint will drive long-term shareholder value.
About WeRide
WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across 11 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in eight markets: China, the UAE, Singapore, France, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and the US. Empowered by the smart, versatile, cost-effective, and highly adaptable WeRide One platform, WeRide provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics, and sanitation industries. WeRide was named to Fortune's 2025 Change the World and 2025 Future 50 lists.
Media Contact
pr@weride.ai
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to,” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about WeRide’s beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in WeRide’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release. WeRide does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
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1 Based on Citi's target price for WeRide’s Class A Ordinary shares, HK
FAQ
How many WeRide ADSs did ARK Invest buy on Dec 4, 2025 for WRD?
What were WeRide's Q3 2025 revenue and margin figures for WRD?
How much did WeRide's Robotaxi revenue grow in Q3 2025 for WRD?
In which countries do WeRide autonomous vehicles hold permits as of Dec 4, 2025?
What deployment targets did WeRide set for the Middle East for WRD?
Which major investors and strategic partners are listed as WeRide shareholders for WRD?
