World Model · podcast knowledge graph

The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289

2026-05-15 · 73 min · episode 2289 · 30 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

  • → references twistartups.substack.com website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • → references @Calacanis website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • → references Raquel Urtasun person
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://linkedin.com/in/raquel-urtasun-298400139
  • → hosted by Jason Calacanis person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • → discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • → references ThisWeekIn website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • → references Twist website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://render.com/twist
  • → references @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • → references partners.launch.co company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://partners.launch.co/
  • → references Thinking book
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/gaia-2
  • → references waabi.ai website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": http://waabi.ai/
  • → references Ai 500 Roadshow 500 Cities website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/ai-500-roadshow-500-cities
  • → references Series D person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/series-d
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/wayve-nissan-uber-robotaxi-collaboration
  • → references Waabi World person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-world

Entities found in this episode

websites 14

  • mentioned twistartups.substack.com website
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • mentioned @Calacanis website
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • references twistartups.substack.com website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • references @Calacanis website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • mentioned ThisWeekIn website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • mentioned Twist website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://render.com/twist
  • mentioned @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • mentioned waabi.ai website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": http://waabi.ai/
  • mentioned Ai 500 Roadshow 500 Cities website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/ai-500-roadshow-500-cities
  • references ThisWeekIn website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • references Twist website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://render.com/twist
  • references @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • references waabi.ai website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": http://waabi.ai/
  • references Ai 500 Roadshow 500 Cities website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/ai-500-roadshow-500-cities

persons 10

  • mentioned Raquel Urtasun person
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://linkedin.com/in/raquel-urtasun-298400139
  • references Raquel Urtasun person
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://linkedin.com/in/raquel-urtasun-298400139
  • mentioned Jason Calacanis person
    0.70
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • hosted by Jason Calacanis person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • mentioned Series D person
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/series-d
  • 0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/wayve-nissan-uber-robotaxi-collaboration
  • mentioned Waabi World person
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-world
  • references Series D person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/series-d
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/press/wayve-nissan-uber-robotaxi-collaboration
  • references Waabi World person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-world

companys 4

  • mentioned Technology company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • mentioned partners.launch.co company
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://partners.launch.co/
  • discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • references partners.launch.co company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://partners.launch.co/

books 2

  • mentioned Thinking book
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/gaia-2
  • references Thinking book
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "The Self-Driving Startup Nobody Saw Coming | E2289": https://wayve.ai/thinking/gaia-2
Episode description as stored
This Week In Startups is made possible by: IM8 Health: IM8health.com/TWIST Squarespace: Squarespace.com/TWIST Render - Render.com/TWIST Self-driving just stopped being a science problem and became an engineering challenge instead. That's the through-line of today's double-header with the CEOs of two of the most important AV companies in the world — Wayve's Alex Kendall and Waabi's Raquel Urtasun. Between them: ~$2B raised in the last six months, Uber as a partner, Nissan and Volvo as OEMs, and a shared bet that end-to-end AI plus world models beats Waymo's city-by-city map-and-pray approach. If you want to understand the state of the self-driving industry beyond recent Waymo announcements, this is the episode for you. Guest Links: Wayve: wayve.ai/ Waabi: http://waabi.ai/ Alex Kendall https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexgkendall/ Raquel Uratsun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-urtasun-298400139/ Company Links: Wayve's GAIA-2 world model: https://wayve.ai/thinking/gaia-2/ Wayve's 500 city roadshow: https://wayve.ai/thinking/ai-500-roadshow-500-cities/ Wavye's most recent funding round: https://wayve.ai/press/series-d/ Waybe + Uber: https://wayve.ai/press/wayve-nissan-uber-robotaxi-collaboration/ Waabi closed-loop simulator: https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-world Waabi + Volvo: https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-and-volvo-autonomous-solutions-partner-to-jointly-develop-and-deploy-autonomous-transportation-solutions Waabi + Uber: https://www.uberfreight.com/en-US/blog/uber-freight-and-waabi-introduce-industry-first-autonomous-truck-deployment-solution Timestamps: 0:00 Alex Kendall (Wayve) joins the show 1:19 The contrarian bet on end-to-end AI and world models in 2017 3:05 What is a world model? GAIA-2 and GAIA-3 explained 7:34 Sensor agnosticism: camera, radar, LiDAR and minimum bar for safety 9:56 $1.5B raised — have we cracked self-driving? 10:09 Render: Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers. 20:38 Squarespace: Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST 25:03 How consumers will actually pay: bundle, subscription, or free trial 30:15 IM8 Health: Start feeling like your best self every day. Go to https://IM8health.com/twist and use the code TWiST to get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order. 35:59 Raquel Urtasun (Waabi) joins the show 36:25 World models as controllable simulators for physical AI 43:34 One AI brain across trucks, robotaxis, and beyond 47:35 What changed in AI to make 2026 the deployment year 52:28 Why Waabi raised $1B when they're capital-efficient 58:52 Where Waabi is today: Volvo VNL Autonomous, Dallas-Houston, Uber Freight 1:00:50 Per-mile pricing and the Driver-as-a-Service model 1:07:20 Has Uber tried to buy Waabi? "Not for sale" Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/ Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com