The archive · Hardware & Devices · Strategic decision · 2019–2026
Verne wins Europe's first robotaxi service — Zagreb live, Uber and Pony.ai in
Rimac's Verne bet Europe on a split model — Verne owns fleet and app, Uber brings demand, Pony.ai brings the driving; Zagreb went live in April 2026.
Verne
What the business is
Croatian startup from Rimac Group that builds and operates purpose-built robotaxi EVs and runs Europe's first commercial robotaxi service with Uber and Pony.ai.
Starting capital：€100M raised ahead of its July 2024 launch (per TC); Uber's strategic investment undisclosed (March 2026)
How it started
Mate Rimac started working on electric robotaxis in 2019 as Project 3 Mobility inside Rimac Group, reasoning that autonomy would make human-driven high-volume EVs obsolete. Verne launched publicly in July 2024 with €100M in funding, unveiled a purpose-built two-seater robotaxi with no steering wheel, and began building a production line in Lučko near Zagreb.
What happened
By November 2025 Verne had produced and tested 60 verification prototypes. In March 2026 Uber said it would invest an undisclosed amount, and Pony.ai joined to supply autonomous-driving tech; the initial fleet uses Pony.ai's Arcfox Alpha T5 rather than Verne's own car. On April 8, 2026 Verne launched Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb: Pony.ai seventh-generation system, trained operators on board, service zone across key districts, bookable through the Verne app with the Uber app to follow.
How it ended up
Live and expanding — first commercial robotaxi service in Europe; Uber and Pony.ai announced plans for 2,000 robotaxis across four European cities (August 2026), with Verne as the local operating partner. Its own no-wheel two-seater has not yet entered service.
Background
Verne is Mate Rimac's bet that Europe's robotaxi market does not need another Waymo. Founded as Project 3 Mobility inside his Rimac Group in 2019, it launched publicly in July 2024 with €100M raised (TechCrunch), a purpose-built two-seater robotaxi without a steering wheel, and a factory line in Lučko near Zagreb building it.
The structural bet is the split model. Verne deliberately does not develop self-driving software; it owns the vehicle programme, the ride-hailing app and the fleet operations — cleaning, maintenance, charging — and on March 26, 2026 announced that Uber would invest and Pony.ai would supply the autonomous-driving system, starting with Pony.ai's Arcfox Alpha T5 rather than Verne's own car (TechCrunch).
On April 8, 2026 the bet produced Europe's first commercial robotaxi service: passengers in Zagreb book Pony.ai-powered autonomous rides through the Verne app, with trained operators on board during the early phase (tech.eu). In August 2026 Uber and Pony.ai expanded their partnership to 2,000 robotaxis across four European cities, with Verne as the local operating partner. Verne's own no-wheel two-seater has yet to enter service, and profitability data is not public.
What has to be true
- Giving up the technology prestige play let Verne launch while autonomy-first rivals were still in testing — it races to revenue, not to demos.
- Uber removed the demand-side risk on day one; no startup-scale marketing budget could have built ridership that fast.
- Zagreb was a small, regulator-friendly first market nobody else had claimed — the opposite of the US city-by-city scramble.
- Launching with a partner's proven vehicle got to cash flow while the purpose-built car de-risks in the background.
What can be applied
In a stacked-hardware market, split the stack: own what is defensible locally — fleet, ops, brand — and rent the decades-long pieces from partners who already paid for them.
Aftermath
As of September 2026 Verne operates Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, bookable in its app (Uber app rolling in), and aims for fully driverless once regulators approve. It is in permitting discussions with 11 cities across the EU, UK and Middle East, with 30+ under consideration; the Uber-Pony.ai 2,000-robotaxi plan casts Verne as fleet-and-ops partner. Open questions: unit economics at near-€2 rides, regulatory appetite for driverless, and whether its own two-seater justifies the Lučko factory.
Sources
- A little-known Croatian startup is coming for the robotaxi market with help from Uber
- Verne launches Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb
- Uber and Pony.ai plan to bring 2,000 robotaxis to Europe
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.
Your turn
You just read one. Describe what you are building, and see who is betting on the same thing.
Free account · 3 free questions · no card