A little-known Croatian startup is coming for the robotaxi market with help from Uber

Croatian electric vehicle entrepreneur Mate Rimac, founder of Rimac Group, is advancing his vision for electric robotaxis through a new strategic partnership involving his startup Verne, Uber, and Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai. The collaboration aims to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, beginning in Zagreb, Croatia. Pony.ai will provide the autonomous driving technology and the Arcfox Alpha T5 robotaxi developed with Chinese automaker BAIC, while Verne will own and operate the fleet. Uber will integrate the service into its ride-hailing network and plans to invest in Verne to support future growth. Although no specific launch date has been announced, on-road testing in Zagreb is already underway. Verne, which originated in 2019 as Project 3 Mobility within Rimac Group, focuses on urban electric vehicles, ride-hailing apps, and fleet management infrastructure rather than developing its own self-driving system. The company plans to produce purpose-built two-seater robotaxi EVs at a new factory