British robotaxi startup Wayve raised $1.5 billion in funding, bringing its valuation to $8.6 billion. The round was led by Eclipse, Balderton, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with participation from Microsoft, Nvidia, and major automakers. Wayve plans to license its autonomous driving software to automakers rather than operate its own fleet, with plans to launch robotaxis on Uber's app in over 10 markets starting with London.

The autonomous vehicle market is consolidating around a few well-capitalized leaders including Baidu, Waymo, Zoox, WeRide, and Pony.ai. Global robotaxi fleets are expected to exceed 10,000 Level 4 capable vehicles by end of 2025, with growth concentrated in China, parts of the US, and Gulf states. Level 5 autonomy remains a distant goal, while Level 2 ADAS is becoming standard. China has tightened regulations following safety incidents, requiring OTA approval and restricting autonomous driving marketing claims.

The week saw mixed tech earnings with strong performances from Twilio, Roku, Applied Materials, HubSpot, and AppLovin, while Lyft missed revenue expectations. Major developments included Anthropic's $30 billion funding round and commitment to cover AI data center electricity costs, Amazon's Leo satellite deployment, and regulatory challenges for OpenAI. EV sales declined globally, though WeRide and Uber launched Abu Dhabi's first robotaxi service. Apple won a patent lawsuit, while concerns emerged about AI safety compliance and data center energy demands.

The Pentagon added Alibaba, BYD, and Baidu to its list of Chinese military companies on Friday but withdrew the filing shortly after, reportedly delaying release until the following week. The move comes ahead of an April summit between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping. Being on the list creates reputational risk and signals potential future U.S. punitive measures, though it carries no immediate legal consequences.

Infini Capital Management Ltd fully exited its Baidu position on February 13, 2026, selling 33,399 shares for approximately $4.4 million. The fund reduced its Baidu holdings throughout 2025 before completely liquidating the position. The exit may have been prompted by Baidu's $2.2 billion impairment charge, an 18% yearly drop in advertising revenue, and the fund's broader restructuring that saw it divest nine of its 11 holdings in Q4.

Alibaba plans to spin off its T-Head AI chip unit for a separate listing to attract external capital, following Baidu's similar move. However, Chinese AI chip makers trade at unsustainably high valuations compared to profitable competitors like Nvidia. Meanwhile, LVMH has handed over its Greater China duty-free operations to state-owned China Tourism Group, marking a strategic retreat from a struggling sector.

ByteDance is in discussions with Samsung Electronics to manufacture AI inference chips, targeting sample delivery by end of March and production of at least 100,000 units this year, scaling to 350,000 units. The move is part of ByteDance's broader strategy to develop in-house AI chips and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers amid U.S. export restrictions.

Baidu announced a strategic partnership with Uber to launch its Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service in Dubai, expected within the coming month. This expansion aligns with Dubai's goal of having 25% autonomous transportation by 2030. Apollo Go has completed over 240 million autonomous kilometers globally. Baidu's stock shows mixed technical signals with neutral RSI but bearish MACD, trading 2.8% below its 20-day moving average but 11.7% above its 100-day moving average.

Physical AI—intelligence embedded in machines that can see, reason, and act in the real world—is emerging as a trillion-dollar transformation. Bank of America's thematic investing team identifies this shift from digital models to physical machines like robots, autonomous vehicles, and drones as a major investment opportunity. Humanoid robots are moving into production with over 50 companies developing platforms, while robotaxis are already operational in multiple cities. The article highlights 15 publicly traded companies positioned to lead this Physical AI revolution across chips, robotics, mobility, and sensing sectors.

Hong Kong's IPO market is gaining momentum with $5 billion raised in January 2026. As China enters its 15th Five-Year Plan, offshore listings are increasingly aligned with strategic priorities including new energy, AI, semiconductors, intelligent driving, and robotics. Several Chinese tech companies are positioning themselves for Hong Kong listings to access international capital and expand globally.

Baidu announced a new $5 billion share repurchase program effective through December 31, 2028, and approved its first-ever dividend policy. The company expects to declare its first dividend payment in 2026, with future distributions supported by operating profits and potential asset sales. The initiatives aim to enhance long-term shareholder value.

Uber Technologies presents a compelling investment opportunity following a recent stock price decline after Q3 2025 earnings. The company is strategically expanding beyond ride-hailing into autonomous vehicles through partnerships with Waymo, Wayve, and Baidu, and launching Uber AI Solutions to provide AI-related services. Strong financial performance with Q3 revenue growth of 20% year-over-year to $13.5 billion and net income of $6.6 billion demonstrates robust fundamentals, while the current valuation offers attractive entry point for investors.