While self-driving cars aren't frequently seen on America's streets, companies developing autonomous vehicles have made tremendous progress in developing these innovative vehicles in the past few years, leading investors to consider options like Nuro stock.
While the company was originally founded with the aspiration of developing a self-driving car, the company shifted gears in 2024 and is working to license its autonomous vehicle technology to original equipment manufacturers, among others. Investors have the ability to gain artificial intelligence (AI) exposure through a Nuro investment. Even those who superficially follow the markets know that one of the most dominant trends is the enthusiasm for AI stocks. And there's no shortage of opportunities from which AI-focused investors can choose. From semiconductor companies like Nvidia (NVDA +0.80%) to those that embed AI in their cybersecurity solutions like CrowdStrike (CRWD +4.04%), there are plenty of options. Among these is Nuro, which relies on AI to facilitate its autonomous driving capabilities.
Unlike many self-driving car stocks that are working to transport people, Nuro was singularly focused on food delivery in the early days after its founding in 2016. Now, however, it's taking a much broader approach, developing in-vehicle software and hardware -- dubbed Nuro Driver -- to facilitate self-driving capabilities from Level 2 to Level 4.
The company is currently led by its two co-founders, who were both Google engineers: Jiajun Zhu, Nuro's CEO, and Dave Ferguson, Nuro's president. The company achieved an industry milestone in 2020 when the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted Nuro approval for a self-driving vehicle exemption for the company's R2 vehicle -- the first of its kind.
People interested in driving ahead with an investment in Nuro stock have several things to consider, such as how to buy shares, when it will hold its potential initial public offering (IPO), and alternative investment opportunities.
IPO
Is Nuro publicly traded?
Nuro may be driving onto investors' radars, but as of February 2025, Nuro was still a privately held company. While retail investors can't hitch a ride with Nuro, the company has secured investments from SoftBank (OTC:SFTB.Y), Disney (DIS -0.37%), and Alphabet (GOOG +0.97%)(GOOGL +0.96%), as well as several venture capital firms.
When will Nuro IPO?
For people who are patient and comfortable with speculative investments that entail higher degrees of risk -- but offer the chance for higher rewards -- buying IPO stocks presents unique investment opportunities. And while several companies are planning to go public in 2025, it's highly unlikely that Nuro will find itself on the IPO calendar anytime soon.
Artificial Intelligence
Is Nuro profitable?
Because Nuro is a privately held company, it isn't subject to the same financial reporting requirements as publicly held companies, so investors don't have the luxury of combing through Nuro's quarterly filings and 10-Ks. As a result, insight into the company's financial circumstances is rather scant, including whether the company is generating a profit.
Should I invest in Nuro?
With its dedication to licensing its autonomous driving technology, investors may find Nuro stock enticing. They're out of luck since the company hasn't held an IPO. If the company proceeds with an IPO, however, it will have to submit regulatory filings, providing investors with much greater insight into the company's financials and helping them to make a more informed decision about whether the stock is a smart investment for them.
Accredited investors may presently be able to gain a position in Nuro but should only proceed if they're comfortable with a more speculative investment.
ETFs with exposure to Nuro
Since Nuro is a privately held company, investors can't gain exposure to the stock through an exchange-traded fund (ETF). There's no need to despair, though, since there are several ETFs that provide exposure to stocks closely related to Nuro.
- ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ +2.13%): For investors who want more comprehensive exposure to autonomous mobility, the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF is a great choice. Of course, there's exposure to Tesla (the largest position in the ETF with an 11.3% weighting), but there's also extensive exposure to drone stock AeroVironment (AVAV +3.90%) and AI semiconductor stalwart Nvidia. With about $1 billion in net assets, the ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75%.
- iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF (IDRV +1.08%): Investors looking for more concentrated exposure to both self-driving cars and electric vehicles (EVs) might want to kick the tires on the iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF. XPeng (XPEV +0.56%), BYD, and Li Auto (LI +1.60%) are the top three holdings, but the ETF also includes companies manufacturing EV batteries and mining companies producing minerals used in EV batteries. The iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF has $151 million in net assets, and it has a 0.47% expense ratio.
- VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH +1.82%): Packed with leading semiconductor manufacturers, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF will attract interest from investors looking for exposure to businesses that provide the "brains" for self-driving vehicles. Broadcom (AVGO +1.36%) is the largest holding in the ETF with an 11.4% weighting, while ASML (ASML +2.37%) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NASDAQ:TSM) and represent the next largest positions with weightings of 10.4% and 9.7%, respectively. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF has a 0.35% expense ratio and more than $2.2 billion in net assets.
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The bottom line on Nuro
Nuro may not be delivering food to your front door in the near future, but its partnership with Uber is providing service to limited customers in California and Texas, suggesting the company is farther down the road to growing its operations than some of its peers.
But without an IPO on the horizon, this privately held company isn't an investment opportunity that's widely available. Still, investors can gain indirect exposure to Nuro through investments in Nvidia and Uber, as well as various ETFs that focus on autonomous mobility companies and semiconductor companies.
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