Verne robotaxi project faces scrutiny over 80 million euros in public funds

The robotaxi project led by Verne, a company associated with Mate Rimac, faces scrutiny regarding the potential return of tens of millions of euros in public funds. The project, which aimed to develop level 5 autonomous vehicles, failed to meet a key condition for receiving non-refundable support from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Verne has received approximately 89.75 million euros in state aid, but has only justified about 8.8 million euros of that amount. This leaves over 80 million euros in advances recorded as liabilities on the company's balance sheet. Financial reports indicate that Verne ended 2025 with only 5.7 million euros in cash and a yearly loss of 20.87 million euros, raising concerns about its ability to repay the funds if the project fails to meet its obligations.

Just two days before a critical deadline, an amendment was signed at the request of the European Commission to specify that 50,000 free vouchers for persons with disabilities must be used exclusively for rides in Verne's fully autonomous vehicles. While there were previous reports suggesting Rimac might move to private financing, documentation shows the company continued to participate in procedures to fulfill obligations related to the recovery plan.