WeRide Passes Hong Kong Listing Hearing, Poised to Become “First Robotaxi Stock” on HKEX

Chinese autonomous-driving startup WeRide Inc. (文远知行) has passed its listing hearing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), paving the way for it to become the first Robotaxi stock in Hong Kong, filling a gap in the local market for publicly traded autonomous-driving companies.

WeRide went public on Nasdaq on October 25, 2024, becoming both the world’s first publicly listed Robotaxi company and the first listed general autonomous-driving company. A successful Hong Kong listing would establish a dual-listing structure across the U.S. and Hong Kong.

According to its latest earnings report, WeRide generated CNY 127 million (USD 17.9 million) in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, marking a 60.8% year-on-year increase. Its Robotaxi business contributed CNY 45.9 million (USD 6.46 million) — an 836.7% surge from a year earlier — accounts for 36.1% of total quarterly revenue, the highest proportion since 2021.

For the first half of 2025, the company reported CNY 200 million (USD 28.2 million) in revenue, up 33.3% year-on-year. As of June 30, 2025, WeRide held CNY 3.84 billion (USD 540 million) in cash and cash equivalents, CNY 252 million (USD 35 million) in term deposits, and CNY 1.74 billion (USD 245 million) in financial assets measured at fair value.

Founded in 2017, WeRide operates across 11 countries and more than 30 cities, making it the only company globally with autonomous-driving licenses in seven countries. In September 2024, WeRide established a strategic partnership with Uber to deploy its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform, starting in the United Arab Emirates. In August 2025, Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab announced plans to invest tens of millions of U.S. dollars in WeRide, with the deal expected to close by mid-2026.

WeRide currently runs over 1,500 Level-4 autonomous vehicles, boasting more than 55 million kilometers of safe driving on public roads. Outside China and the U.S., it operates the largest Robotaxi fleet in the Middle East, with deployments on Uber and TXAI platforms. In Abu Dhabi, the company is transitioning its Robotaxi service toward full driverless operation. WeRide also holds the distinction of being the only L4 autonomous-driving firm with fleet deployments in France, Switzerland, and Belgium. Executive directors Dr. Han Xu and Dr. Li Yan, both formerly with Baidu, together hold 72.1% of voting rights, ensuring solid management control. Major shareholders include Yutong Group (7.1%), Qiming Venture Partners (6.7%), Alliance Ventures (6.8%), and NVIDIA Corporation, a key strategic investor.

WeRide’s fellow Baidu-spin-off Pony.ai (小马智行) has also passed its Hong Kong listing hearing, setting up a high-profile race between China’s two leading Robotaxi developers to capture global investor interest in autonomous-driving technology.