Benteler Group said it has agreed to acquire Ioki, the former mobility subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, as it moves to position itself as a full-service provider of autonomous transport solutions in Europe.
The privately held automotive and industrial supplier said the deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, is expected to close in the near term. Following completion, Ioki’s software platforms for on-demand and public transport integration will be combined with Benteler’s vehicle, operations and financing capabilities.
Benteler plans to integrate Ioki with Holon, its subsidiary that develops the Holon Urban autonomous electric shuttle, and with Benteler Mobility, which manages fleet operations. The group said the structure would allow cities and transport authorities to source vehicles, digital platforms and operational services from a single provider.
“The acquisition brings together HOLON’s manufacturing expertise and Benteler Mobility’s operational capabilities with the digital platform solutions by ioki – hardware, services, and software all in one place,” Ralf Göttel, chief executive of Benteler Group, said in a statement.
Ioki was founded in 2017 as Deutsche Bahn’s electric ride-sharing initiative and was spun off as a standalone subsidiary a year later. The company has focused on software for demand-responsive transport, with deployments typically operated by local partners. Benteler said Ioki’s technology has been used in more than 200 transport services and has served around 10 million passengers, with a workforce of over 100 employees.
Benteler said the acquisition would also support international expansion. While Ioki’s projects have largely been concentrated in Europe, the company will gain access to Benteler’s global footprint. The software will remain vehicle-agnostic, allowing customers to use Ioki’s platforms with autonomous vehicles from different manufacturers, including but not limited to Holon.
Ioki’s co-founder and chief executive Michael Barillère-Scholz said the deal would help scale its products beyond its current markets, adding that the company would continue to develop its driver-based ride-pooling solutions alongside autonomous offerings.
Benteler has been investing in autonomous mobility as part of a broader strategy to diversify beyond traditional automotive components, as cities and public transport operators explore low-emission and automated transport models.