V

Verne

Transportation · Buzin, Croatia · Founded 2019

Verne, formerly known as Project 3 Mobility, is a European startup developing a fully autonomous urban mobility system. The company was officially presented in June 2024 at the Rimac Campus near Zagreb, Croatia, by founders Mate Rimac, Marko Pejković, and Adriano Mudri, who previously held leadership positions within the Rimac Group. The venture positions itself as both a vehicle manufacturer and a mobility operator, combining automotive engineering, digital platforms, and infrastructure development into a single ecosystem. The company’s product strategy is based on three components: a purpose-built autonomous electric vehicle, a ride-hailing application, and a dedicated operations hub. The vehicle is designed exclusively for autonomous use and does not feature a steering wheel or pedals. It seats two passengers and incorporates a large ultra-wide display, ambient lighting, customizable interior settings, and app-based control. The autonomous driving system is powered by Mobileye Drive, a platform that integrates cameras, radar, and LiDAR to handle complex city environments. To ensure reliable operations, Verne is also developing “Motherships,” service depots where vehicles will be cleaned, recharged, and maintained daily. This infrastructure is intended to guarantee consistent vehicle availability and service quality. In February 2024, Verne raised approximately €100 million in Series A funding. Investors included TASARU Mobility Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, along with Kia, SiteGround, Infinum, Rimac Group, Neurone, and Elaf Auto. This marked TASARU’s first investment in next-generation mobility outside Saudi Arabia. Construction began in early 2025 on Verne’s first production facility at VGP Park in Lučko, near Zagreb. The 28,500-square-metre plant is being built to BREEAM Excellent sustainability standards and is expected to begin operations in late 2026. The factory will initially produce several hundred autonomous vehicles per year, with the capacity to expand production volumes over time. The brand name pays homage to Jules Verne, reflecting the founders’ ambition to link technological progress with forward-looking urban mobility concepts. The company’s stated aim is to reshape urban transport by offering a safe, comfortable, and efficient autonomous mobility service that integrates directly with the fabric of modern cities. Keywords: Verne, autonomous vehicles, urban mobility, Mobileye Drive, electric vehicle, ride-hailing, infrastructure, Mothership, Rimac, Series A funding, TASARU Mobility Investments, Kia, SiteGround, Infinum, Neurone, Elaf Auto, Zagreb, VGP Park, autonomous transport, urban deployment, Jules Verne