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Mate Rimac robotaxi project funding crisis

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 09:52 UTC → 2026-09-30 09:53 UTC · added removed

Mate Rimac’s company, Project 3 Mobility (Verne), has failed to meet the core requirements and deadlines for its robotaxi project, which was supported by 179.5 million euros in European Union funds through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO). The project’s failure stems from the company’s inability to produce a proprietary level five autonomous vehicle, a key condition of the funding agreement. While robotaxis are currently operating in Zagreb, they rely on level four autonomy via partnerships with Uber and Pony.ai rather than the mandated level five technology. To date, the company has only officially justified 8.7 million euros of the 89.9 million euros disbursed. Following the project’s official deadline on August 30, 2026, Verne announced it is prepared has moved to resolve its financial liabilities. The company has submitted a final request for funds reimbursement to the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting (SAFU) to return 89.7 million euros in advances if a public funds. This submission includes no requests for additional cost coverage. SAFU now has 60 days to review the documentation and final evaluation determines that reports to determine the exact amount to be returned to the state, assessing whether contractual obligations were not fully met. Recent financial met and if reported expenses were eligible. This follows significant scrutiny highlights that Verne has received approximately 89.75 million euros in state aid but has only justified about 8.8 million euros, leaving over 80 million euros in advances recorded regarding Verne’s ability to repay the funds, as liabilities on its balance sheet. Financial financial reports from the end of 2025 show showed the company held only 5.7 million euros in cash and recorded a yearly loss of 20.87 million euros, raising concerns regarding its capacity to repay the funds. Additionally, an amendment requested by the European Commission was signed two days before a critical deadline, specifying that the 50,000 free travel vouchers for persons with disabilities must be used exclusively for rides in Verne’s fully autonomous vehicles. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has maintained that the Croatian government fulfilled all necessary legislative and infrastructure prerequisites, arguing the failure was beyond state control. euros.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-30 09:53 UTC Mate Rimac robotaxi project funding crisis
  2. 2026-09-19 09:52 UTC Mate Rimac robotaxi project funding crisis
  3. 2026-09-01 14:43 UTC Mate Rimac robotaxi project funding crisis
  4. 2026-09-01 14:43 UTC Verne prepared to return funds amid robotaxi project crisis
  5. 2026-09-01 06:13 UTC Mate Rimac robotaxi project funding crisis

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