Pony AI's $260 million IPO gauges U.S. investor appetite for Chinese firms

(Reuters) - China’s Pony AI said on Wednesday it had raised $260 million in its U.S. initial public offering, valuing the robotaxi startup at around $4.55 billion, the latest to bank on improved investor sentiment in U.S. markets. 

 

The company’s performance could indicate how investors approach China-based firms under the current U.S. administration as both nations compete for dominance in autonomous driving technology.

 

The IPO also comes after nearly two years of uncertainty following Didi Global’s delisting amid regulatory backlash in China, with Beijing easing tensions by resolving a long-standing audit dispute with the U.S. accounting watchdog in December 2022. 

 

However, the company faces other challenges, including public skepticism about autonomous vehicles, data privacy concerns, and competition from companies, including Elon Musk’s Tesla, which has promised to roll out driverless ride-hailing services to the public in California and Texas next year.

 

Pony AI has said that its U.S. operations will remain "limited in scope" for the foreseeable future.

 

Other China-based companies, including EV maker Zeekr and self-driving tech firm WeRide, also went public in the U.S. earlier in the year amid a backdrop of the country’s IPO market picking up recently, with investors showing renewed interest in promising tech startups. 

 

Pony AI sold 20 million American depositary shares in the IPO, priced to investors at $13 each. It also raised an additional $153.4 million in concurrent private placement.  

 

The Toyota Motor-backed company’s valuation has come down from $8.5 billion two years ago.

 

It is expected to start trading on the Nasdaq later on Wednesday. 

 

Analysts caution that widespread robotaxi adoption could take years due to safety and reliability challenges, although China has been quicker to approve trials than the U.S.

 

Pony AI remains unprofitable as it invests in expanding operations.

 

(Reporting by Niket Nishant and Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Tasim Zahid)