Can you buy stock in Nuro?

Because Nuro hasn't held an IPO, its stock isn't available to most investors. However, accredited investors may be able to buy shares on platforms like Forge Global.

Is Nuro a good stock to buy?

Investing in Nuro isn't an option unless you're an accredited investor, as it's still privately held. Accredited investors seeking to gain a position in Nuro must understand the substantial risks of investing in a company with scant financial information.

Who are the investors in Nuro?

In addition to the company's insiders, Nuro has various investors, including venture capital firms and corporations such as Disney, Alphabet, and SoftBank.

What is the valuation of Nuro?

Nuro was valued at $6 billion after its latest funding round in August 2025.

Can You Buy Nuro Stock Pre-IPO? What to Know

Can You Invest in Nuro Pre-IPO? Here's What You Need to Know

By Scott Levine – Updated Jun 27, 2026 at 8:25 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Nuro focuses on licensing its self-driving tech, offering Levels 2-4 autonomy.
As of 2025, Nuro is privately held, not available for public stock trading.
Investors can explore Nvidia or ETFs for indirect investment in self-driving tech.

Self-driving cars aren’t common on U.S. roads yet, but progress has accelerated, and investors are eyeing companies like Nuro.

Sensors surrounding self-driving cars on a highway. — Image source: Getty Images.

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Founded in 2016, Nuro first focused on autonomous food-delivery vehicles. In 2024, it shifted its strategy to licensing its self-driving technology to automakers and other partners. Its platform, Nuro Driver, provides in-vehicle software and hardware that enable Level 2 through Level 4 autonomous capabilities.

Autonomy levels span from Level 0 (driver fully in control) to Level 5 (no human input). Level 4 systems, per the NHTSA, can handle all driving tasks within defined areas without human involvement.

Nuro leans heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) -- a major draw for AI-focused investors looking beyond megacaps like Nvidia or CrowdStrike. The company is led by former Google engineers Jiajun Zhu (CEO) and Dave Ferguson (president). It reached a notable milestone in 2020 when regulators granted an exemption for its R2 vehicle, the first self-driving vehicle of its kind to be approved.

Anyone considering Nuro stock should understand how to buy shares, its potential IPO timeline, and alternative ways to invest in the autonomous-vehicle or AI sectors.

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IPO

IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public, making it a publicly traded entity.

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Is Nuro publicly traded?

Nuro may be rising on investors' radar, but as of October 2025, It 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 -0.28%), and Alphabet (GOOG -1.47%)(GOOGL -1.39%), as well as several venture capital firms.

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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 2026, it's highly unlikely that Nuro will find itself on the IPO calendar anytime soon.

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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.

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Alternatives to Nuro

Although Nuro stock may not be an option for ordinary retail investors, there are comparable companies that they may find appealing.

1. Nvidia

Although picking up shares of Nuro isn't a possibility for most investors, there's still the opportunity to gain indirect exposure to the self-driving car stock with Nvidia. The semiconductor powerhouse has developed a platform specifically designed for automotive applications: Nvidia Drive AGX. A key hardware component of Drive AGX is DRIVE Thor, a chip that integrates sophisticated central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) to enable autonomous driving. In September 2024, Nuro announced its autonomy platform Nuro Driver, built with "Nvidia Drive Thor with Arm Neoverse™ technology – that combines automotive-grade hardware with AI-powered self-driving software."

In addition to Nuro, Nvidia provides its automotive hardware to a variety of other customers, including BYD (BYDDY -0.53%) and XPeng (XPEV +0.87%). During its fourth quarter 2025 earnings presentation, Nvidia noted that self-driving platform products were the primary factor behind the company achieving a 69% year-over-year revenue increase in its automotive business for fiscal 2025.

2. Tesla

There are plenty of car companies striving to develop sophisticated autonomous driving functionality, but Tesla (TSLA +2.57%) is likely the name that most people on the street will associate with self-driving cars, and for good reason. Tesla has made tremendous strides in achieving self-driving functionality.

For vehicles built after September 2014, drivers can use Tesla's advanced driver assistance system, Autopilot. In short, Tesla's driver assistance system requires almost zero driver input to match and navigate road and traffic conditions.

In addition to vehicles with a driver, Tesla plans to produce driverless vehicles called Robotaxis. Tesla plans to begin volume production of its Robotaxi in 2026.

3. Uber

For investors who remember Nuro's original ambitions of facilitating autonomous food delivery, Uber is a worthy consideration. While Uber originally made its name through ridesharing, its delivery business -- which includes food, alcohol, and other items -- has recently grown considerably in profitability. Uber's delivery segment adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in 2025 rose to $3.6 billion, a 45% year-over-year increase.

Amplifying the appeal of Uber stock for Nuro-focused investors, a portion of Uber's delivery revenue comes directly from Nuro. In September 2022, Uber and Nuro agreed to a 10-year partnership, with Uber planning to use Nuro's self-driving vehicles to make food deliveries in Houston and Mountain View, Calif. Uber also has partnerships with other self-driving companies like WeRide (WRD -0.50%) and Pony (PONY +2.98%).

How to buy stocks similar to Nuro

Accredited investors may be able to buy Nuro shares before the company launches an IPO. People who meet the criteria for accredited investor status may be able to buy Nuro stock on platforms such as Forge Global (NYSE:FRGE), which allows them to invest in privately held companies.

If you don't qualify as an accredited investor, you're not completely out of luck. There are publicly traded companies with businesses similar to Nuro. Just follow these steps.

Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

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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 several ETFs offer exposure to stocks closely related to Nuro.

ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ +2.98%): 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 10.1% weighting), but there's also extensive exposure to drone stock AeroVironment (AVAV +4.46%) and AI semiconductor stalwart Nvidia. With about $2.4 billion in assets under management (AUM), the ETF has an expense ratio of 0.75%.
iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF (IDRV +1.38%): 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 +0.87%), BYD, and Li Auto (LI -1.29%) are among the top holdings, but the ETF also includes companies that manufacture EV batteries and mining companies that produce minerals used in EV batteries. The iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF has $136.5 million in net assets and a 0.48% expense ratio.
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH +4.65%): 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. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NASDAQ:TSM) was the fund's second-largest holding in mid-2026 after Nvidia (17.7%), accounting for 8.7% of fund assets. Others in the top 10 included Broadcom (AVGO +2.21%) at 5.5% and and ASML (ASML +3.72%) at 4.8%. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF has a 0.35% expense ratio and $70.9 billion in assets under management.

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Should you 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 gone public. 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 make a more informed decision about whether the stock is a smart investment.

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.

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The bottom line

Nuro may not be delivering food to your front door in the near future. Still, its partnership with Uber is providing limited service to customers in California and Texas, suggesting the company is further along in growing its operations than some of its peers.

But without an IPO on the horizon, this privately held company isn't a widely available investment opportunity. Instead, investors can gain indirect exposure to Nuro through investments in Nvidia and Uber, as well as various ETFs focused on autonomous mobility and semiconductor companies.

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Investing in Nuro FAQ

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About the Author

Scott Levine is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, industrials, technology, and materials. He is also a high school English teacher and a small business owner. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Binghamton University, a master’s degree in secondary education from Adelphi University, and an advanced certificate in school building leadership from CUNY Queens College. A crossword puzzle enthusiast, he has solved more than 3,100 New York Times puzzles with a 97% solve rate.

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Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, AeroVironment, Alphabet, Broadcom, Tesla, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Can You Invest in Nuro Pre-IPO? Here's What You Need to Know

Key Points

IPO

Is Nuro publicly traded?

When will Nuro IPO?

Is Nuro profitable?