Elisa de Martel, the former CFO of Waymo, has joined the autonomous vehicle startup Wayve as its new chief financial officer. She replaces Max Warburton, who will transition into a strategic advisory role for the company. De Martel will be based in Sunnyvale, California, and will oversee financial strategy, capital allocation, and corporate governance.
De Martel served as CFO at Waymo from 2022 until January 2026, overseeing a period that included a $5,6 billion Series C funding round and a valuation exceeding $45 billion. Her professional background also includes an 11-year tenure at Apple as a manufacturing finance director and a role as CFO at the 3D printing company Carbon.
Founded in 2017, Wayve is currently valued at approximately $8,5 billion and has raised a total of $3,2 billion to date. The startup focuses on an end-to-end neural network approach for automated driving that does not require high-definition maps or custom hardware. Its technology is designed for both robotaxis and consumer passenger vehicles.
Wayve has established partnerships with automotive manufacturers, including Nissan and Stellantis. The company is currently testing its automated driving systems in London with human safety operators and plans to launch similar operations in Tokyo. The startup aims to transition from limited deployments to becoming a high-volume supplier for the automotive industry.
