The FS Group invests in the Italian bet on autonomous driving and participates in theNiulinx, a spin-off of the Milan Polytechnic, closed a €38 million deal. Born from research into artificial intelligence applied to mobility, the operation—the largest in Italy in its sector—is led by A2a and CDP Venture Capital. AFL, Pirelli, VC Partners SGR, Most-National Center for Sustainable Mobility, Fondazione ICO Falck, and international individual investors also participate in the capital. For FS, the operation marks a debut: it is the first time the company initiates a venture capital investment, betting on a technology destined to redesign mobility and aiming to support the growth of a European champion of autonomous driving.
“Technological innovation is an enabling factor for the evolution of mobility systems – he declared Massimiliano Garri, Chief Technology, Innovation and Digital Officer of the FS Italiane Group – and autonomous driving represents one of the most significant trajectories. With this operation, the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group strengthens its commitment to developing advanced solutions, while also valorizing the human factor as a fundamental element: the wealth of skills, responsibility, and safety culture that characterizes railway workers and which remains central to innovation processes. From this perspective, we are contributing to the growth of a national industrial ecosystem capable of competing on a European and international scale.
Here's how much the autonomous driving sector is worth. The challenge is being launched by the US and China.
The context explains the acceleration: Autonomous driving is now worth over $50 billion globally and, according to estimates, could exceed 300 billion by 2035. The United States and China already have several industrial champions; Europe, however, still lacks a player capable of competing on a continental scale. Niulinx was born with this ambition and is focusing on a "European" approach: attention to rules and safety from the outset (regulatory-first), efficient development, and a growth model that includes agreements with local operators, including franchising. The startup develops the complete stack needed to power a driverless vehicle: environmental awareness, route planning, vehicle control, and remote fleet management.
The technology comes from AIDA – Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Driving research group at the Polytechnic University of Milan, coordinated by Professor Sergio Matteo Savaresi, director of the Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering. In parallel, the approval process for bringing self-driving vehicles to European roads is already underway. Niulinx builds on a successful road trial. In 2025, in Brescia, the pilot project promoted by Gruppo A2a, the Milan Polytechnic, and MOST – National Center for Sustainable Mobility tested a novel car-sharing model: electric vehicles capable of reaching the user autonomously, allowing them to drive to their destination, and then navigate to a wireless charging station or a new customer.
That test became the technological and industrial foundation on which the new society is built today. The investment will finance Niulinx's technological and industrial growth. along three main lines: completing the autonomous driving stack and the European homologation process, expanding the team to over 100 engineers and data scientists, and launching the development model through local operators in key European markets, starting with Germany.
