BENTELER Group Acquires ioki To Expand Autonomous Public Transport Services

The deal will create Europe’s first full-service provider for autonomous mobility, combining BENTELER subsidiary HOLON, ioki, and Benteler Mobility. Under the arrangement, HOLON will manufacture the autonomous HOLON urban shuttle, ioki will supply the platform and routing technology for on-demand services and public transport integration and Benteler Mobility will provide operational services and fleet financing for autonomous vehicle deployments.

HOLON, an OEM for autonomous movers, is a joint venture of BENTELER Group and Saudi investment firm TASARU. Benteler Mobility operates a transportation-as-a-service platform covering all aspects of autonomous mobility, including vehicle acquisition, financing, maintenance and fleet operations.

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“This integrated approach is unique in our industry. It radically simplifies the deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles for customers. Alongside our core business in metal processing, BENTELER is thus strategically evolving into a leading provider in the autonomous mobility sector,” said Ralf Göttel, CEO of the BENTELER Group.

Founded in 2018, ioki is a digital mobility company and a leading provider of on-demand transport in the DACH region. Working with partners, the company offers data-driven mobility analysis, digital solutions, and operational support. Its software has powered around 200 flexible transport services, serving nearly 10 million passengers.

As an example of the potential benefits of the collaboration, ioki stated in the press release, “Data-driven analyses and simulations by ioki, for example, identify potential areas where autonomous vehicles such as the HOLON urban can meaningfully complement and enhance public transport. Both the software and the vehicle are scalable and designed to work seamlessly together. This enables municipalities and operators to significantly reduce costs while simplifying the introduction of autonomous mobility services.”

According to ioki, this acquisition also allows access to international markets. “As part of the BENTELER Group, we can further strengthen and scale the market leadership of our successfully established software and analytics products on an international level,” said Michael Barillère-Scholz, co-founder and CEO of ioki.

BENTELER is a global company serving the automotive, energy, and mechanical engineering industries. Specializing in metal processing, it develops, produces, and distributes safety-related products, systems, and services. The company employs over 20,000 people across nearly 90 locations worldwide.