Uber names new CFO as it doubles down on autonomous vehicle strategy

Uber is promoting Balaji Krishnamurthy, its vice president of strategic finance and investor relations, to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Krishnamurthy, who has been at the company for over six years and spent most of his tenure in investor relations, replaces outgoing CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, who is leaving after three years. Because Krishnamurthy holds a board seat at autonomous vehicle (AV) company Waabi, the appointment may signal Uber’s plans to expand its driverless investments and operations.

During an earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated that autonomous vehicles would unlock a multitrillion-dollar opportunity and fundamentally amplify the platform’s strengths. Khosrowshahi outlined the company’s expansion timeline: “By the end of 2026, we expect to be facilitating AV trips in as many as 15 cities globally, with a roughly even split of U.S. and international cities. And by 2029, we intend to be the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world.”

To support this expansion, Uber has established partnerships with at least 20 autonomous vehicle companies across a variety of use cases, including sidewalk delivery robots, robotaxis (autonomous taxis), and trucking. These partners include Waymo—which operates robotaxis with Uber in Atlanta and Austin—as well as Avride, UK-based Wayve, Volkswagen, and Chinese companies WeRide and Momenta.

Financially, Uber reported that its fourth-quarter revenue rose 20% year-over-year to $14.37 billion, driven by strong demand for its food delivery services. The company plans to use its financial position to back its driverless strategy. Krishnamurthy stated that the company will use its growing free cash flows to invest with discipline across multiple opportunities to position Uber for an autonomous future.

This strategy includes direct investments and offtake agreements (agreements to purchase future services). For example, Uber participated in a $750 million Series C funding round—a stage of venture capital financing—for Waabi. This deal includes up to an additional $250 million from Uber if milestones are met, supporting the deployment of 25,000 or more robotaxis on its platform. Uber has also invested in Silicon Valley-based Nuro and Lucid to launch a robotaxi service.

Why it matters

The appointment of a new CFO with deep ties to autonomous vehicle investments signals Uber’s strategic pivot to accelerate its driverless operations and infrastructure.