WeRide's HK IPO: CICC & Morgan Stanley Underwrite, No Cornerstone Investors, 27.5% Premium Over US Shares, H1 Robotaxi Revenue Soars 360%+

Deep News
Oct 31

**IPO Details** WeRide Inc. (WRD) has filed for a Hong Kong IPO with CICC and Morgan Stanley as joint sponsors. The offering features no cornerstone investors and adopts Mechanism A allocation.

**Financial Performance** From 2022 to H1 2025, WeRide reported revenues of RMB528M, RMB402M, RMB361M, and RMB200M respectively, with a -17.3% CAGR (2022–2024). However, H1 2025 revenue rebounded with 32.8% YoY growth, driven by Robotaxi sales surging 364.4% (46 units sold vs. 18 in H1 2024). Robotaxi now contributes 31.1% of total revenue, up from 13.2% in 2024.

Gross margins fluctuated between 44.1% (2022) and 30.6% (H1 2025), while net margins remained deeply negative (-246.1% to -696.9%). As of June 30, 2025, cash reserves stood at RMB3.836B, sufficient to fund expansion.

**Valuation & Peer Comparison** WeRide’s proposed HK market cap is HKD35.93B (PS 166.35x), a 27.5% premium to its US closing price of $10.60 (HKD82.34 after forex conversion). Peer Pony.ai trades at PS 279.65x in the US.

**Key Differentiators** - WeRide operates 1,500+ autonomous vehicles across 30+ cities in 11 countries, holding licenses in 7 jurisdictions. - Diversified product mix (Robotaxi, Robobus, Robovan, Robosweeper) vs. Pony.ai’s focus on Robotaxi/Robotruck.

**IPO Structure** - No cornerstone investors. - Mechanism A: 5% public allocation initially, scaling to 10%–20% based on oversubscription (currently 20.1x). - Total offering size: ~HKD3.089B (8.6% dilution), with 5.07% allocated to listing expenses.

**Risks** - High valuation premium over US shares. - Intense competition in autonomous driving R&D, delaying profitability. - Concurrent IPOs (Pony.ai, Joyson Electronics, etc.) may divert investor interest.

**Market Sentiment** Despite weak US performance (-27% since 2024 Nasdaq debut), WeRide’s Robotaxi growth and cash reserves could attract speculative interest. However, the pricing disparity with US shares limits upside potential.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10