Waymo wants you to take a robotaxi for your next business trip - but can it topple Uber and Lyft?

• Waymo launches new business-focused travel scheme
• Users will be able to sign up enterprises in three US cities
• Event organizers and universities could also benefit

Robotaxi firm Waymo has launched a new enterprise-focused service as it looks to gain a foothold in the lucrative business travel market.

The new Waymo for Business platform will let co mpanies sign up for group accounts, streamlining registration and payments and giving more oversight into travel.

Waymo says the launch will also benefit universities and event organizers, allowing them to sign up for a combined platform which can get students to school, or shuttle attendees to and from a conference venue.

Waymo for Business

In a blog post announcing the launch, Waymo says the service will offer "24/7 reliability and convenience", and notes around 1 in 6 of its riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix already use Waymo to commute to work or school.

The service will be available in those three US cities to begin with, but we'd expect further expansions soon if the launch is a success.

Users will be able to ride in one of Waymo's fully electric cars without concerning themselves with driving, giving them extra time to work, catch up on correspondence, or just relax.

A new business portal will allow managers or admins to view journeys, letting them set parameters for journeys, and track user journeys, making sure things don't ever go over budget.

For event organizers, the portal will allow them to set up promo codes or discounts for events, and then track how many people have used these promotions.

Users can register their interest now, Waymo says this initial launch will help it gain feedback on how to exzpand its offerings, and what it can provide to businesses going forward.

"We are actively exploring how our service can best support organizations of all sizes," the company said. "While we’re still in the early stages, we’re committed to evolving our business offerings to better meet the needs of a wide range of business over time."

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