When I entered the Waymo-Uber party Monday evening, I stopped and reflected on what a wild moment this was. The scene, which included a performance by singer Megan Moroney, Terry Black’s BBQ, and a Waymo robotaxi parked on a platform above a pool, wasn’t particularly grandiose — at least on the scale of SXSW parties. But seeing Uber and Waymo employees toasting with mugs of prickly pear margaritas was, especially for this reporter.
Seven years ago, Waymo and Uber were in the middle of a trade secrets theft trial —a shaky foundation for a future partnership. The two companies abruptly settled just five days in the trial, in which Waymo had alleged Uber had stolen self-driving technology. Insiders told me that Waymo and Uber started talking about partnering in 2022, eventually leading to a launch in Phoenix about 18 months later.
Now, with Uber and Waymo pairing up on a robotaxi service in Austin, and soon Atlanta, this relationship appears (at least publicly) to be on solid ground.
