The future of car sharing just got a $410 million boost. Grab, Southeast Asia's ride-hailing giant, is backing German remote-driving startup Vay with an investment that could reach $410 million - making it one of the largest mobility deals of the year. The partnership signals major players are betting big on alternatives to traditional car ownership as autonomous vehicle momentum builds.
Grab just wrote one of the biggest checks in mobility tech this year. The Southeast Asian super-app announced it's investing up to $410 million in Vay, a Berlin-based startup that's reimagining car rentals through remote driving technology. The deal starts with $60 million in cash, with another $350 million unlocked as Vay hits expansion milestones across US cities over the next year. Vay CEO Thomas von der Ohe confirmed the structure on LinkedIn Monday, calling it a strategic partnership that goes far beyond just funding. The investment needs regulatory approval and should close by year-end, but it's already reshaping how we think about the space between car ownership and ride-hailing. Vay's model is deceptively simple but technically complex. Human operators remotely drive rental cars directly to customers using the company's proprietary technology. Once the car arrives, customers take over and drive normally - no need to pick up from a rental lot or worry about parking when they're done. It's like having a valet service powered by remote control technology. The startup says this approach costs about half the price of traditional ride-hailing thanks to its hardware-light system and hybrid model. Currently operational in Las Vegas since early 2024, Vay faced regulatory hurdles in its home market of Germany until recent clarity on remote driving laws. The company now plans to use Grab's investment primarily for US expansion, competing in a market where autonomous vehicles are gaining serious traction. The timing couldn't be better. Alphabet's Waymo just announced robotaxi deployments in Detroit, Las Vegas, and San Diego, while Nvidia committed $500 million to British self-driving startup Wayve. But Vay isn't positioning itself as a direct robotaxi competitor. Instead, it's targeting what "a growing segment of consumers who prefer not to be car owners" - people who want driving freedom without ownership hassles. For , which doesn't operate in the US market despite its Nasdaq listing, the investment represents a strategic entry into American mobility innovation. The company plans to support Vay's growth while exploring synergies in Southeast Asia, where Grab's super-app dominates with ride-hailing, food delivery, payments, and financial services all in one platform. The data angle is particularly compelling. Grab believes the driving data collected by Vay's remote operations could accelerate AI model training for autonomous vehicles - potentially giving both companies an edge in the broader autonomous driving race. This isn't Grab's first mobility tech bet; the company recently invested in US-based and China's , building a portfolio of autonomous driving technologies. Vay's vision extends beyond car sharing. The company has already expanded into and partnered with self-driving truck company . CEO von der Ohe told TechCrunch earlier this year that Vay aims to build a "global remote driving platform" - essentially becoming the infrastructure layer for remote vehicle operations across multiple industries. The startup had previously raised $131.8 million from notable investors including Kinnevik, Coatue, Eurazeo, Atomico, General Catalyst, and Creandum, according to . If Vay hits all its milestones, Grab's investment would more than triple that total, providing substantial runway for aggressive US expansion and international growth.
