Go eyes robotaxis and acquisitions after Japan’s biggest IPO of 2026. Here’s why it matters
Go eyes robotaxis and acquisitions after Japan’s biggest IPO of 2026. Here’s why it matters
Go 在 2026 年日本最大规模 IPO 后瞄准自动驾驶出租车与并购：为何此事至关重要
Go’s IPO — Japan’s biggest so far this year — has done more than provide a much-needed boost to the country’s languishing listing season. It has also supplied the taxi-hailing app with the capital required to address an existential issue: Japan’s shortage of drivers. Go 的首次公开募股（IPO）是日本今年迄今为止规模最大的一次，它不仅为日本低迷的上市季注入了急需的活力，还为这家打车软件公司提供了解决生存难题所需的资金：日本的司机短缺问题。
Go, which went public Tuesday, plans to use the ¥88.6 billion ($553 million) raised in its IPO to expand its robotaxi business and make acquisitions, according to a company spokesperson. “We intend to use the proceeds from the sale of newly issued shares toward investment in research and development related to robotaxis and investment in business expansions, including strategic mergers and acquisitions in our business inside and outside of the taxi industry,” the spokesperson said. 据公司发言人称，周二上市的 Go 计划利用 IPO 筹集的 886 亿日元（约合 5.53 亿美元）来扩展其自动驾驶出租车业务并进行收购。发言人表示：“我们打算将新股发行的收益用于自动驾驶出租车相关的研发投资，以及业务扩张投资，包括在出租车行业内外进行战略性并购。”
The Japanese taxi-hailing company’s debut came in one of Japan’s quietest listing seasons, at a time when the government has been telling startups to sell themselves rather than go public. Go drew investments from BlackRock, Wellington Management, and M&G Investment Management in the process, underscoring where global institutional money is willing to go in Japan right now. The stock has since pulled back below its offering price, closing at ¥2,314 on Friday, down about 4% from the IPO price of ¥2,400. 这家日本打车公司的上市正值日本上市季最冷清的时期之一，当时政府正鼓励初创企业通过被收购而非上市来退出。在此过程中，Go 吸引了贝莱德（BlackRock）、威灵顿管理公司（Wellington Management）和 M&G 投资管理公司的投资，这凸显了全球机构资金目前在日本的投资意向。该股上市后回落至发行价下方，周五收于 2,314 日元，较 2,400 日元的 IPO 价格下跌了约 4%。
Go’s robotaxi ambitions are rooted in a human problem. Japan’s taxi industry is running out of drivers. The number of taxi drivers has fallen roughly 20% in recent years, according to a report citing Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. An aging population means that figure is unlikely to recover. Ride-share services launched in Japan in 2024, but remain limited to certain areas and require drivers to be employed by a taxi company; restrictions that have done little to address the shortage. Go 的自动驾驶出租车雄心源于一个人力问题。日本出租车行业正面临司机短缺。据一份援引日本国土交通省数据的报告显示，近年来出租车司机人数下降了约 20%。人口老龄化意味着这一数字不太可能回升。虽然日本于 2024 年推出了网约车服务，但仍局限于特定区域，且要求司机必须受雇于出租车公司；这些限制措施对缓解短缺问题收效甚微。
Go was founded in 1977 as a taxi operator and now runs Japan’s largest ride-hailing app with 35 million downloads, 85,000 partner vehicles, and an 80% share of Japan’s taxi app market by usage time, covering 46 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Go believes robotaxis will be part of its future — although it’s not clear when that vision will become a reality. Go 成立于 1977 年，最初是一家出租车运营商，如今运营着日本最大的打车软件，拥有 3500 万次下载量、8.5 万辆合作车辆，按使用时长计算占据了日本出租车应用市场 80% 的份额，覆盖了日本 47 个都道府县中的 46 个。Go 相信自动驾驶出租车将成为其未来的一部分，尽管目前尚不清楚这一愿景何时能成为现实。
Go has partnered with Waymo, an autonomous driving subsidiary of Alphabet, alongside Nihon Kotsu, one of Japan’s biggest taxi operators. Go is responsible for strategic coordination of the partnership, according to the spokesperson. CEO Hiroshi Nakajima has previously said that Go will not invest in autonomous driving systems itself, according to Nikkei Asia. Go has not set a timeline for fully driverless operations. “We plan to begin driving fully autonomously, without a human specialist present, when we validate our technology and receive approval to do so,” the spokesperson said. Go 已与 Alphabet 旗下的自动驾驶子公司 Waymo 以及日本最大的出租车运营商之一日本交通（Nihon Kotsu）建立了合作伙伴关系。据发言人称，Go 负责该合作关系的战略协调。据《日经亚洲》报道，首席执行官中岛宏（Hiroshi Nakajima）此前曾表示，Go 本身不会投资自动驾驶系统。Go 尚未设定完全无人驾驶运营的时间表。发言人表示：“我们计划在验证技术并获得批准后，开始在没有人类专家在场的情况下进行完全自动驾驶。”
In the meantime, Go is looking for ways to give its traditional business a competitive edge. For instance, the company has partnered with Kakao T, Alipay, and WeChat Pay that allows inbound travelers from South Korea, China, and Taiwan to hail Go-affiliated taxis directly from their local apps. 与此同时，Go 正在寻找提升其传统业务竞争优势的方法。例如，该公司已与 Kakao T、支付宝和微信支付达成合作，允许来自韩国、中国和台湾的入境旅客直接通过其本地应用程序呼叫 Go 旗下的出租车。
Go is not the only company betting on Tokyo’s robotaxi future. In March, Uber, Wayve, and Nissan announced plans to pilot robotaxi services in Tokyo by late 2026, marking Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan. The service will use Nissan Leaf electric vehicles powered by Wayve’s AI Driver, and will be bookable through the Uber app. Uber has also teamed up with S.Ride to let international visitors book rides through the Uber app. Didi Mobility Japan, a joint venture between SoftBank and Didi Chuxing, has a similar arrangement. Go 并不是唯一一家押注东京自动驾驶出租车未来的公司。今年 3 月，Uber、Wayve 和日产宣布计划在 2026 年底前在东京试点自动驾驶出租车服务，这是 Uber 在日本的首个自动驾驶汽车合作伙伴关系。该服务将使用由 Wayve 的 AI Driver 驱动的日产聆风（Leaf）电动汽车，并可通过 Uber 应用程序预订。Uber 还与 S.Ride 合作，让国际游客可以通过 Uber 应用程序预订行程。软银与滴滴出行合资的滴滴日本（Didi Mobility Japan）也有类似的安排。